The Raven and the Serpent
by Yasona Black
Summary: After finding two children in the forest, none other than a White Witch and Harry Potter, Severus Snape is sentenced the impossible task of watching over them. Mentions of rape and abuse. COMPLETELY ABANDONED.
1. Stormy and Rae

For any normal cat, the wet and slippery roads of London would have been forbidden, especially with the falling mix of rain and soft wet snow; this cat however, seemed an altogether a very strange sort of cat, for not only were the markings around the eyes a queer sight indeed, but add the slow deliberate walk and the head and tail held high, it was definitely one very odd cat. However, those walking or driving in London did not even spare the cat a single glance, save two pair of eyes peeking out the corner of an alley way. The cat stopped and sniffed the frozen air; its breath coming out in short puffs of smoke; truth be told, it was not smoke at all, merely the hot air meeting the frigid air.

"Don' get why you're so 'fraid of a stinkin' cat," came an annoyed female voice, belonging to one of the pairs of eyes.

"It don' act righ'. It aint normal," said a boy's voice that also belonged to one of the pairs of eyes.

"Whate'er, it's jus' cold, so lets go if ya wanna," the girl whined.

"I ne'er said it was harmful, jus' aint normal," shot back the boy.

That same odd cat walked down to the alleyway towards the two voices; its head and tail still held proudly, and sat in front of the voices. The female voice belonged to a willowy child with what should have been a beautiful sallow face and ebony hair; however the dirt and grime took away that effect, making her, simply put, a mess. Yet, the most startling thing about this young female child was her eyes; her eyes were dead white, no pupil could be seen, just a hair-raising white, not a milky, foggy white, but a bright, piercing white, ones that would scare the living daylights out of people. Perhaps that was why she gripped a pair of cheap mirrored sunglasses in her hand.

She faced a boy of whom it was clear she had been speaking to, for there was not another boy around. The boy also had what would have been a very pale face, if not for the same dirt and grime that covered his counterpart's face. Unlike his counterpart, his head had a messy mop of tangled black hair, a black as if it had designed the color itself, and murky emerald green eyes laid half obscured by the mess of hair.

The two looked at the cat curiously as the cat stared back; to anyone else it would have looked to be a staring contest, but to the two children, the boy particularly, it was a battle of wits, if it were possible with any stray walking around. As the moment passed, the cat merely stood up and walked away.

"'N' you were 'fraid of it," said the girl haughtily.

"I still don' like th' looks of it," muttered the boy.

The girl muttered an unintelligible reply. "Ready?" she asked.

"As ready as I always am," replied the boy with a shadow of a grin on his face.

They clasped their hands together and in soft voices they chanted the words:

"Without a blessing do we go  
Without any ties or binds  
Do we leave this current flow."

A ribbon of gray wound tightly over their hands and slithered up until it reached their shoulders; the last bit forming a snake head with amber eyes on the boy's and on the girl's shoulder the last bit formed a raven, also with amber eyes. The effect of this lasted a mere second before they disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving a small beetle that was hurriedly scurrying away.

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**HARRY POTTER ALIVE?  
**

**A confirmed sighting of a boy with black hair, green eyes, and a lightning shaped scar was seen in an alleyway in the streets of London. He has been presumed dead for nearly five years after authorities had been told that he died in a car crash after hitchhiking. Authorities are now investigating the muggles that he lived with. We are uncertain about…**

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"Where th' hell did we end up this time?"

"Stormy, you were th' one who wanted ta leave?"

"But Rae, we a'ways ended up where there was 'nough rich people to pickpocket. It aint my fau't we ended in th' middle o' a stinkin' forest.

The two children, Stormy and Rae by the sounds of it, had indeed ended up in the middle of a forest.

"Wont it ligh' out 'fore?" Stormy asked, his emerald eyes becoming more alert.

"Was," whispered Rae as she looked around. "I guess I don' need these righ' now," she said taking off her mirrored sunglasses; she had put them on right before she had whispered the incantation. Her companion was still muttering about how it was dark.

"Used ta a'ways work like," he snapped his fingers, "that. Was mornin' when we left."

"Somehow, I don' think th' fact that its dark is th' worst of our problems, cuz I aint staying in a fores' and I don' know which we're goin' out."

Sure enough, they had landed right in the middle of the forest, and neither of them could see a way out.


	2. Twinkles

A/N: I own nothing

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"Stormy," Rae began.

"Wha' now?" came the green-eyed boy's voice.

"I can't sleep…"

"Raven," Stormy sighed; Raven was a child who functioned perfectly well while the sun was up, but at the sign of darkness, her monsters were let loose across her mind, much unlike her counterpart's, whose timidness left him at the sign of dusk and loved the darkness.

"I wanna a story."

"Ya really need a story?" he asked incredulously. "We in the middle o' a fores' wit' all sorts o' splendid animals, such as a-, oh…'Kay, I'll tell ya a story."

Stormy pulled Raven closer to him as she struggled to prop herself up. Now, Stormy may not have been the best storyteller but he could always pick an object out and use it as a focal point. Tonight, he chose the stars.

"See th' stars up there?" Stormy asked. Raven nodded. "Every star's a symbol o' someone who died, but, ta have a star, they must have someone close ta them, believe 'n' know that they were a good person."

"What 'bout criminals?" Interrupted Raven.

"Well, that depen's. The star shows their good qua'ities, if they had none, they most likely wont have one, but if they did…" he left the sentence in the air and saw a figure looming towards them. Raven followed his gaze.

"Sounds like a horse," she said; she was always more inclined to listen to the sound instead of looking.

"Yeah," said Stormy, "But it aint no horse."

"Maybe it's friendly," she said but Stormy could sense her fear that lay shallowly hidden.

"Rae! It's a centaur!"

That it was indeed. The head had white-blonde hair framing a very youthful-looking face, and his palomino body gleamed in the slight moonlight.

"Erm, hello," said Stormy.

The centaur said nothing, but instead scrutinized Stormy, his eyes lingering on Stormy's forehead. "What is Harry Potter doing in the Forbidden Forest?"

Stormy went rigid; churns of emotion swirled in his emerald orbs for but a moment and his eyes went dark. "I don' know o' any Harry Potter."

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Severus Snape hated that twinkle. There was nothing more that Severus hated more except for James Potter, but right now, Severus wanted nothing more than to destroy the little twinkle in the old coot's eye. "But Albus," he protested.

"No, you are the one here to do it."

"But surely, Minerva or even the blundering oaf Rubeus would be more suited to this job," had he had a whining voice he would have sounded like a child, however is rather chilling voice made him sound like a teenager and that only made the twinkle more profound.

He sighed. "Fine." He needed to get away from that stupid twinkle.

"Old coot," he muttered under his breath.

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"But you are Harry Potter; you have the scar and the stars said you were coming here," the centaur persisted.

"I told ya ta wear a hat, but do ya ever lis'en ta me? No," said Raven.

"Ah," began the centaur, his gaze leaving Stormy and falling onto Raven. "Trisha Dursley, cousin of Harry Potter."

This time it was Raven who went rigid and her hands clenched at the sides. "My name is Raven, Rae for short."

"You two were kicked out of your home," the centaur said.

"Was pretty damn mutual," Stormy muttered.

"What's ya name?" Raven asked.

"Forgive me for not introducing myself. I am Firenze."

"Stormy," Stormy said introducing himself.

"Beg your pardon?"

"My name's Stormy, not th' Harry Potter rubbish you was talkin' 'bout."

Firenze's gaze looked outward. "Severus Snape," he said.

The two children turned and saw a man in billowing black robes; his hair was a greasy jet-black and framed a very sallow face. The two unconsciously took a step back.

"Stormy," Rae whispered, "he's scary lookin' person…"

"Well Rae…he may not be…" Stormy seemed at loss for words. "Ya know what…I agree…he is a scary lookin' person…"

"Well I could say the same thing about the two of you," said the man in black robes. "Now what the hell are two children doing in the Forbidden Forest?"

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The last place Severus Snape had expected to find the children was the Forbidden Forest. His biggest wonder was how the two children had gotten there; the last time a trace of Potter had been found it was in London.

He took a step towards the children who in turn took another step back. A somewhat sickening odor fumigated towards his nostrils.

"When was the last time you little wretches took a shower?"

"Well, ya see, it aint easy takin' a shower in th' middle o' a forest," the Potter boy shot back.

"It wont do you much good to give me lip Potter," Severus said.

The boy strung together a good variety of swear words. "Stormy! Not th' Harry Potter rubbish!"

Snape sighed; this was going to be a long night.

"Look misters, I don' know 'bout you peoples but we're tired n don' know what ya all are talkin' 'bout. So kindly leave us alone!" Raven yelled at them, her fragile security somewhat hardening over the last few minutes.

She took Stormy by the hand and nodded as they both darted off into the night.

Snape sighed again; this was going to take awhile. "I hate that twinkle…"

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A/N: REVIEW PLEASE! I am very curious to see who likes it. I am also very sorry for the long wait. I'll try to be better in the future.


	3. A Sighing Snape

The Raven and the Serpent  
PG-13 or T  
Disclaimer: Does anyone think I am JK Rowling…no…well I don't think so either.

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"Rae," Stormy asked as they ran away at top speed.

"Yeah, Stormy?" Raven asked between gasps.

"Why do we keep runnin'? Aint'cha getting' tired o' all this?"

"Do ya wanna end back there? I swear, I saw it in 'is eyes. 'e was gonna bring us som'ere."

"Wha' if 'e wasn't. Wha' if 'e was fer real?"

"Real fer wha'? Ya heard 'im, 'e called ya name, 'e called my name 'n I don' like th' sounds o' it."

"Bu' where are we goin'?"

Raven stopped running. "I don' know."

"Pe'haps, if we go back, we can pi'pocket 'em 'n then leave again," Stormy said the plan slowly unfolding in his head.

Raven slowly caught on. "We shou'd let 'em catch us. Let 'em thin' they got th' low'r hand 'n leave when ready."

Stormy grinned. "They would feed us, 'cause we look like innocent children. Aint gonna know wha' hit 'em.

"Sleep?" Rae asked grinning.

"Oh yeah," Stormy said.

Snape cursed those brats as he ran after them, albeit a lot slower. Those children were fast and agile. Too fast and agile he thought. As he ran deeper into the forest he cursed even more; it was as if they had no idea that the danger would await them. For goodness sake, the children were only ten. Although the girl wouldn't have much of a problem in the forest; the creatures would know her powers on sight and leave her alone, but Harry was another matter entirely. He would be hunted down quickly if he stayed for very long. "Damn those little brats," he muttered as he quickened his pace.

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"Good morning," came a silky voice smoothly waking up both Stormy and Rae.

"Damn!" Stormy yelled as he saw the greasy-haired man towering over him.

"Language, Potter," he said.

"Fuck it," swore Raven. "We won' suppo'ed ta go ta sleep!"

"The same goes for you too, Miss Dursley." Raven glowered, her eyes full of hate and rage. "Bastard," she muttered under her breath as Stormy coughed to cover it up.

"Wha' ya wan' whi' us?" Stormy asked.

"I'm not who wants you. Albus Dumbledore , Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry does," Snape replied, somewhat irritated.

"Ah, so ya a lackey," Stormy said, refusing to falter underneath the death glare Snape was giving Stormy.

"Stormy," whispered Rae, "thi' aint gonna 'elp if ya screw it up."

"Fair 'nough," he whispered back. To Snape, "I guess we migh' as well go whi' ya ta thi' wha' 'is name."

"Albus Dumbledore," Snape replied cheekily. "You would do good to remember that."

"Wha'ev'r," muttered Rae. Stormy kicked her.

"Come with me," Snape said and the children followed him out.

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"Welcome to Hogwarts, school of witchcraft and wizardry," Snape replied sullenly. "Soon you will not be my problem anymore."

The two children looked up at the school in amazement. Perched atop a high mountain, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers. "So," began Stormy.

Snape sighed, "Yes, Mr. Potter?"

"Why're we at a magic school?"

"'N why did ya bring us?" asked Rae.

"Do you to always ask this many questions?" Snape shot back; these children were trying his patience. They had not shut up on the whole way out of the forest, most of the conversation was asking him where they were going, who he was, and why was he doing this. Most of their choice of words were very colorful, but he was going to flip if they called him a 'bloody, freakin' bastard,' one more time.

"Albus, will explain everything to you when we get to his office," he said, sighing.

"We goin' in th' castle! A'righ'!" Rae exclaimed.

"Don' fo'get ta breathe," Stormy muttered, earning a kick from Rae.

As they approached the doors in the castle they quieted down, much to Snape's relief; he had thought that they were never going to shut up. Snape glanced at the two children; their eyes were dark as if they were remembering something from long ago. He tried to shove it in the back of his head as he knocked three times on the castle doors. They swung open at once and they stepped through, the doors closing behind them.

If it were even possible, and much to Snape's surprise, the children were even quieter than ever. Snape headed up the marble stairs, Stormy and Rae followed slowly behind him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Raven try to touch the railing, but quickly shoved her hand away, looking as if she had done something wrong. She glance at Stormy who tried to give her a supporting smile, but failed as the staircase suddenly began to swing. Still, neither child spoke or even made a sound; they didn't even ask him why the staircase was moving.

They reached the gargoyle in front of the office. "Lollipops," said Snape, coming very close to rolling his eyes. He also half-expected some sort of cynical remark to come from one of the children. There was none; they were both looking down at their feet, their hair loose in front of their faces. The gargoyle swung back and they entered into the office.

As Stormy and Rae walked into the office, they became even more uncomfortable. Stormy was itching to steal something, or at least throw one of these expensive-looking items so it would shatter. Too much wealth, he thought.

Stormy and Rae both noted the man in the robes with the white beard, however, they refused to acknowledge him first. Instead there was a pregnant pause as both children looked from the crystal figurines to the old man. The man stood up, "Mr. Potter and Miss Dursley, we are glad to see that you are alive and unharmed."

All the man got was stony glares from both children and also Snape.

"Forgive me children, I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Wha' do ya wan' wi' us?" Stormy asked directly.

"Well you see," began Dumbledore, "you both have been declared dead for four years now. A reported spotted you a couple of days ago in an alley in London."

"There won' anyone, 'cept a tabby cat," Rae interrupted.

"Told ya it wa' strange," Stormy shot at her.

"Here we go again," Snape said, sighing again as he sat in a chair and rubbed his temples.

"It wa' jus' a cat!"

"It looked li' it wore friggin' glasses!"

"Ta mos' people, their jus' markins'!"

"Make them stop…"

Albus looked on this with a twinkle in his eyes; he had been so happy that the two were found, alive and well. But he wondered, who staged their deaths?

"It was a cat!"

"Ne'er looked li' a normal one!"

"'Ow th' 'ell 'm I suppo'ed ta know?"

"Cuz ya good at tha' stuff!"

"At leas' I didn't ge' all freaked an' make us leave th' bes' pi'po'eting place around!"

"'Ave ya looked a' thi' office!"

"Both of you, SHUT THE HELL UP!" Snape yelled. The children 'shut the hell up' quickly and looked down at their feet, refusing to meet either man's eyes.

"Who staged your death?" Albus asked calmly, as if nothing had just happened. To his surprise, they pointed their finger at each other and grinned.

"We both did," Stormy said proudly.

"Two six-year old children staged their own deaths?" Snape asked, fixing the children with a calculating glare. "Preposterous."

"Well, we di' 'ave some 'elp," Rae said. Stormy glared at her pointedly.

"And who would have that been?" Albus asked.

"Don' 'member real well," Rae said smoothly.

"Harry, do you?" Albus asked.

"One, I wa' six, 'n two, my name aint Harry!"

"They've been quite adamant that their names are not Harry Potter and Trisha Dursley, but Stormy and Raven, no last names either," Snape interrupted.

"I assure you, that you two are Harry Potter and Trisha Dursley," Albus said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Wha'ev'r," Rae muttered, "'ow 'bout thi'; we change our names!"

"Ah, so you know your real names," Albus said.

"'R ya daft? 'Course we know our own names. We aint stupid!" Stormy yelled.

"It would do you well in September, Mr. Potter, to give your headmaster respect," Snape said.

"Who th' hell said I wa' goin' ta thi' school? I aint got money ta go ta some fancy pancy wizardry school! D'ya know 'ow many people I'd 'ave to pi'po'et ta get the money? More than I wan' ta!" Stormy grabbed Rae and they both stormed out of the room. Snape was about to follow them when Albus said "Wait, they wont go very far." Snape obeyed somewhat happily, they were past getting on his nerves; they wouldn't go away.

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"D'ya thin' they bought it?" Rae asked.

"Oh yeah," Stormy replied as he held out a wallet. Rae grinned and took a small crystal figurine out from her pocket. "We'll be set in no time."

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A/N: Wow, long update for a long wait? REVIEW PLEASE! I have been working very hard on this and would really enjoy the reviews and constructive criticism. So please REVIEW and I'll give CHOCOLATE!


	4. Of Games

The Raven and the Serpent  
PG-13 or T  
Disclaimer: rubs head I am blonde who died her hair brunette to stop the blonde jokes, have no money, and used to work at McDonald's, how could I possibly be JK Rowling? My poor little blonde brain doesn't work that great of scale unless everybody dies. Therefore, I am not her nor do I own HP.

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**Dumbledore's Office**

"I do not trust these street urchins."

"Severus, my boy, they are merely children, must you have a dim view on them already?" Albus Dumbledore asked the man who was pacing about the office, no doubt trying to work off the stress the two children had placed upon his shoulders.

"If you had to find them, chase them, and then walk to here with them all night, you might see my side of the story," Severus said, putting a hand into his robes and his eyes grew wide.

"They have grown on the streets; it is no wonder that they should be a bit curious."

"Curious, my ass! The bloody brats stole my wallet!" Had he been sitting down he would have jumped up and made a very funny sight, however, he was standing and instead he merely rushed out of the room. Unfortunately, he realized, the brats had about a ten minutes start and had no idea where they were going. He could only hope that the brats would end up in a dead end in the castle.

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Meanwhile 

"'Ow long do ya think it'll take 'im ta see 'is wallet aint there no more?" Rae asked as they were walking down a corridor, to her it seemed like the one before but she knew better. She didn't survive on the streets without a gang for nothing. _The gang,_ she thought with a pang. She shook her head; now was not the time or place, it wouldn't be for a long time.

"He's a smar' man. He'll figure it soon." Stormy answered. "Y'alright?" he asked taking note of the look in her eyes.

"Course I am. Good thing we don't got th' wallet no more." She said changing the subject.

Stormy knew what she was trying to do and let her get away with it. "'Opefully we can find it again."

"'Opefully," she said leaning against the wall. "This place is weird wi' a capital 'T'.

Stormy sighed and leaned against the wall next to her. "Kind of like th' wall. It aint quite righ' if ya know wha' I'm sayin'."

"Wi' a capital 'T' alrigh'." Rae answered as she looked at Stormy and their eyes held a devilish grin and they both opened their mouths and began to chant.

"We know you're not a wall  
We're not quite sure of what you are  
But we know how to get up in case of a fall  
So let us in whether it be short or far."

The two could feel the wall trembling slightly and they grinned at each other as they passed right through the wall. The room was decorated in green and silver and tapestries filled with images of snakes hung upon the wall.

"Wow," Rae said. "Now, thi' is awesome."

"'Ow come th' rest o' th' castle don't look like thi'?" Harry asked in amazement.

"Because, Mr. Potter," came a silky smooth voice from behind the two children, "the castle does not exist for the benefit of a few, as I'm sure you'll want it to benefit you."

"Me? Why th' hell would I care?"

"Haven't you been taught any manners? Or right from wrong? Or perhaps, to been taught not to take peoples personal possessions from them?" Severus Snape asked angrily.

"Take what you can," answered Rae.

"And give nothing back," Stormy finished. "Ya see, its th' code ya live by on th' streets, no matter where, it's th' same and we been to quite a few cities. New York, too."

"And may I ask, how did you get to New York?"

"If ya can do magic, wouldn't ya know thi' a'ready?" Raven asked, eyeing Snape suspiciously.

"But how would two children under eleven years old be able to get from Europe to America?" Snape replied not missing a beat; he knew they were trying to keep him from getting his wallet but he didn't mind playing this game right now. He wanted to see how far wrapped up in their own lie they would get.

"Well, ya see, it's kinda like 'ow we got 'ere," Stormy said.

Snape wanted to scream; these children were driving him mad. They were also, quite unfortunately, very good at the game they were playing. Perhaps another tactic would work better, something like…intimidation…yes, that was good. "You bloody brats better hand over the wallet now!"

"We don't got it," Rae said calmly.

"Accio wallet!" Severus Snape shouted, pointing his wand at the ebony girl. When nothing happened he pointed his wand at Potter and tried it on him. Nothing happened.

"Are ya done yet?" Stormy asked.

Snape narrowed his eyes; he knew they took his wallet, but they did not have it on them.

"Tell me where my wallet is." Snape said threateningly. Neither of the two children even flinched. Stormy was even slightly amused.

"Intimidation don't scare us. Not anymore," he replied.

"It should," Snape said in a low whisper.

"Well, it hasn't. Not in a long time. Ya try going ta…" she trailed off and stared fixatedly on the ground, cursing herself in her head; she had almost slipped, the man being so much, well, slippery, than what she was used to dealing with.

Snape looked at her with a questioning eye; there were secrets locked within her, and as he looked at Potter, he knew the same secrets lied within. _"They have grown on the streets; it is no wonder they should be a bit curious." _They weren't curious though, they were, he thought for a minute, they were afraid.

"What are you afraid of?"

Stormy looked at him in shock; what game was he playing? It was no longer the one that they had control over. "What do ya mean?" he asked.

"You know what I mean, and I expect an answer."

Stormy looked at Rae; she was unsure of what to do also. The game had changed, the rules were different, and they were no longer winning.

"What are you afraid of?"

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A/N: Was that cruel of me to leave it there? The more reviews the quicker I update. I also have a whole week off, I could write more if I feel inspired and reviews and inspire me. Hope you enjoyed it! REVIEW PLEASE….and the saying "take what you can and give nothing back was taken from the Pirates of the Carribean, the Curse of the Black Pearl. BTW, the second one looks awesome, go to yahoo and watch the preview.


	5. Then Mental Children

The Raven and the Serpent  
PG-13 or T  
Disclaimer: rubs head I don't own HP! I DON'T OWN HP! I DON'T OWN HP! Don't own, and have no money! Good? Good.  
A/N: THanks for all those people who have reviewed! You know who you are!

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_/ "What are you afraid of?"_

_Stormy looked at him in shock; what game was he playing? It was no longer the one that they had control over. "What do ya mean?" he asked._

"_You know what I mean, and I expect an answer."_

_Stormy looked at Rae; she was unsure of what to do also. The game had changed, the rules were different, and they were no longer winning._

"_What are you afraid of?" /_

"Where th' bloody hell did that question come from?" Stormy shouted at Snape.

"So you are afraid," Snape replied smoothly, not missing a beat.

"Fine," began Raven, "we are afraid, right Stormy?" she asked giving Stormy a fixated glare.

"Ah, yes, we afraid that ya gonna make us do laundry. Ya an' th' Wummledore man are gonna make us spen' eternity doin' laundry," Stormy replied cheekily; he knew he was getting on this man's nerves but he was getting severely ticked off him, acting like he knew them perfectly.

"We aint ne'er liked laundry."

"You two are impossible," Snape said; the brats were trying him over and over again, but he refused to let them win. It may have been petty, but he would not let two street brats, one of them being Potter, beat him at his own game.

"I 'ope so," Raven said, her white eyes seemingly scrutinizing him, how, he wasn't sure, but he knew it was an inbred power of all of her kind. She seemed to notice him staring at her white eyes and took out a pair of dirty, mirrored sunglasses out of her pockets and put them on. "Sorry 'bout givin' ya th' creeps."

"Ya don' need ta apologize," Stormy cut in. Snape turned to look at him, his eyes an angry glare, but Stormy continued on and ignored him. "It aint ya fault. It weren't e'er ya fault. Take 'em off if ya want cuz he's seen worse."

"You assume much, Potter," Snape said; he was growing impatient with this arrogant boy.

"Firs' off, I aint Potter, and second, I'm righ', aint I?"

Snape decided not to answer, as much as he didn't want to admit it, they had won, but he would be damned if they knew that. "Come, we are going back to the headmaster to figure out what to do with you two."

They didn't budge. "We survived before. We can survive again," Raven said.

"Miss Dursely, I am not in the mood for your petty little games, you are coming with me to the headmaster and that is final."

His choice of words did not seem to help his case at all. At the mention of her honest name a fire had blazed in her eyes and she was staring daggers at him. Snape could feel the pressure building up in the room and knew that she was unconsciously summoning up magical energy, old magical energy. He looked over at the boy who merely shrugged.

"Ya did it ya'self, ya can be th' one ta calm her down."

He cursed, and he cursed again when he saw the boy smiling. The boy was smiling! At this time of very grave danger, he was merely smiling after he told him to calm her down.

Stormy rolled his eyes; the man looked like he was about to wet himself. "Honestly," he muttered and touched Raven's hand. "Rae, stop." And she did stop; the pressure dissipated from the room and the fire left her eyes.

"My name's Raven," she said, her voice devoid of any emotion.

-

**Dumbledore's Office**

"You want me to do what?" Snape asked; the children were, hopefully, waiting outside the office and could not hear the conversation that was taking place.

"They need a home, Severus, a stable home. It would be something they've never had."

"Those children are mad! They should be locked up in a mental hospital the way they behave!"

"Severus, my boy, surely you are overreacting, they cannot possibly be that bad. Give them time and they will adjust to a more stable life."

"There is something wrong with them; they grew up on the streets after faking their own deaths, and now refuse to be called by their real names. I mean, Stormy? Come on! He's bloody, freaking Harry Potter, The Boy who Lived and the girl, she's a White Witch who cannot even control her power! AND YOU expect me to take care of the **both** of them? I hate the boy! He's already like his father, arrogant and the works!" He stopped, not because he was done with the tirade but because he felt a presence behind him, and he turned around.

"I hate ya too," Stormy said, "And I hate ya all." He left the room, leaving an angry Raven behind.

"He was righ'. Ya all are th' same," she said as she turned and followed Stormy.

"You see, my boy, they need guidance, someone to trust and a stable home life. You can give that to them if you get past your prejudice. You, above all, should know what it's like to be not wanted."

"Fine," Snape said grudgingly. "I'll take them."

"But first you'll have to find them; I'm sure they've already found a few rooms. Where did you find them before?" Dumbledore asked curiously.

"In the Slytherin Common room," Snape said, furrowing his brow. "But what about my spy duties?"

"There are other spies beside you. Voldemort will already think you've turned from him, so there is no harm in raising them," he said taking a handful of candy from the bowl. "Perhaps, they would like some sherbert lemon?"

"I wouldn't reward their constant running off with candy, Albus," Snape said, rolling his eyes; the man and his candy, he was like a little kid himself.

"But one must hold onto their innocence," Albus said placing the handful of candy in Severus's hand.

-

**Meanwhile**

"Ya heard wha' 'e said!" Raven yelled.

Stormy winced. The two were back in the room they were in before; it was as if it called out to them, even though they hadn't remembered the way. Anyway, the best place could always be the one where you were last found; everybody would think you were stupid if you went back so didn't even bother.

"I di' hear wha' 'e said. I jus' think I'm tired o' all th' runnin' 'round. If 'e's willin' ta take us, why don' we let 'em?"

"I cant believe thi'! Ya th' one tha' hates 'im! I heard ya say it!"

"Thi' one's different. He aint like them all. Ya see, th' crazy coot's got 'em on some sorta debt. 'E does wha'e'er th' man says. Th' coot wants 'im ta take us in, so 'e'll do it. He jus' thinks we insane, but 'e won' lock us up. 'E's full o' talk, so we won' e'er be sent back there."

"Good, cuz I don' e'er wanna go back."

-

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A/N: Quick update…was that a cliffie? I don't know. I did know I had to update with a cliffie like last chapter's. So there you go. PLEASE REVIEW! Also, many things, such as their names and the gang, will be explained throughout the story, and also the white eyes will soon be explained. Reviewing gives me inspiration, making me want to write! (cant you see the hint?)


	6. Bonds and Life Debts

The Raven and the Serpent  
PG-13 or T  
Disclaimer: Two words: Sixth chapter. Still, I don't own HP. I thought it was obvious.  
A/N: I'm trying to answer your questions as much as possible, but I'm putting them in the story and I ask you nicely to be patient. I merely do not want to ruin the whole story by answering all the questions or comments. I will say this though, Voldemort is the same way as he is in the books right now, most likely under Quirrel's turban or getting there. Snape was looking ahead in time because he always seems so much smarter than some characters. I hope that clears a few things up for you people and now onto the next chapter!

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/ "_I cant believe thi'! Ya th' one tha' hates 'im! I heard ya say it!"_

"_Thi' one's different. He aint like them all. Ya see, th' crazy coot's got 'em on some sorta debt. 'E does wha'e'er th' man says. Th' coot wants 'im ta take us in, so 'e'll do it. He jus' thinks we insane, but 'e won' lock us up. 'E's full o' talk, so we won' e'er be sent back there."_

"_Good, cuz I don' e'er wanna go back." /_

"I don' e'er wanna go back either. I can see 'em hatin' us but we can handle tha' now. If he don' act 'ow we wan' 'em ta, we'll leave," Stormy said and snapped his fingers, "like that."

Raven grinned. "Cuz we can." Her eyes suddenly lit up. "Maybe 'e's rich!"

"'is wallet was nice 'n full," Stormy said.

"Di' ya fin' it?"

"Th' wallet? No. But I kept th' money in my pockets. I ne'er di' lie…"

"Tha' was bloody brilliant!"

"Are you two ever going to tell me the truthful reason of how you keep getting in here?" asked a silky smooth voice coming up from behind them.

Both children turned around and placated emotionless eyes upon him. "Could be th' same way ya got in here," Stormy said tonelessly.

"I believe I got in by using the password and I don't recall anyone giving you a password. How did you get in?"

"Why does it matter?" Raven asked. Snape's onyx eyes flashed dangerously as he opened his mouth to retort, but the child cut in before he could. "I'm not 'fraid of ya, neither is Stormy. We got in here th' same way we got ta New York, London, 'n th' forest 'n all th' other cities. We whisper'd a rhyme 'n it worked."

Snape stifled a gasp; rhymes were Old Magic and while he knew it worked for White Witches, he wondered how it could work for Potter. "Was Potter with you all of those times?"

"Thi' 'Potter' doesn't exist! He died four years 'go along wi' Trisha Dursley. Ge' o'er thi' damn, fucking, name thing ya all got for us!" Stormy yelled at him, however, he calmed down rather quickly on his own. "I was wi' 'er all times."

"Don' work wi'out 'em. I tried. Ne'er works if one o' us aint there." Rae said softly; she still did not trust this odd man and she knew Stormy didn't either. It would be a long time before they would trust anyone again, especially an adult.

"Are you two bonded?" Snape asked, surprised that somehow they were having a decent conversation at last.

"She's my cousin, but family doesn't mean anything," Harry said.

Snape had forgotten that the two were unused to the wizarding world; they would not understand the concept of bonds and life debts.

"I know wha' life debts are," Harry said, shocking Snape.

"How did you know I was thinking that?"

"Cuz ya said we don' know wha' bonds 'n life debts are," Harry said slowly.

"I didn't say anything of the sort," Snape said looking suspiciously at the two children.

"I heard ya too," Rae said. "But it don' happen much."

"What doesn't happen much?" Snape asked; these children were full of odd quirks and it was driving him mad.

"We don' hear people's though's tha' often. Thi' is like th' second time," Harry said as if it explained everything.

"You two must really be bonded," Snape said curiously. "But how?"

Stormy and Raven looked at each other and the memories flew unleashed.

"_We have no one know," Raven had said looking at the ground around her; lifeless bodies littered the ground covered in blood, they were young children ranging from four to twelve. All of them were dead._

"_We still have each other," Stormy said._

"_I don' e'er wanna be alone."_

"_We won'," Stormy said picking up a knife. "Come here." Raven sidled over to him._

"_Upon this despicable night," Stormy began._

"_When has gone our wonderful might," Rae continued._

"_We bind our souls together," Stormy said cutting a thin line along his forearm and gave the knife to Raven who did the same._

"_For forever and even into the never," Rae said as they locked their bloodied forearms together and the both said: _

"_Forever and even into the never  
Our souls shall always be together  
We shall fight as one  
On this night it shall be done."_

The two children did not say anything and Snape saw the pain in their eyes but took nothing of it. "How did you two bond yourselves?" he asked again.

"Does it matter?" Raven asked sharply.

"'n why do ya care so much?" Stormy asked. "Nobody e'er cared 'fore."

Snape sighed. "I have to take you to a muggle home. If it were up to me, I wouldn't be there with you."

"But it's not up ta ya, is it?" Stormy asked. "So ya gonna be there wi' us. 'Ow lucky we must be," he said sarcastically.

Before Snape could try to admonish him Raven cut in. "We got a few rules, if we gonna be livin' wi' anyone."

"As do I, and I expect them to be followed," Snape said. "And yes, how lucky you must be. When was the last time you ate a decent meal?" Raven didn't say anything while Stormy merely shrugged. "I thought that. Do you want to spend the rest of your life on the streets?"

"Maybe we like 'em," Rae retorted bitterly.

"Really, well if that's how you feel," Snape began cautiously.

"Ya really don' give a damn wha' we say, ya gotta do it, don' ya. Th' old coot got ya on some sorta life debt, don' he?" Stormy replied.

Snape's eyes widen; the boy was far too intelligent for being a son of Potter, then maybe again it was a freak incident that didn't happen quite often.

"I'm righ' again, aint I?" Stormy asked with a mischevious grin.

"I would tell you to not let the fame go to your head, but it apparently it already has," Snape said sneering. "You're just like your father."

Stormy's eyes flashed; the man was obviously judging him already, and Stormy hated that. "I don' know who th' fuck my father was, so 'ow th' hell am I suppose to compare. 'N wha' th' hell do ya mean fame is goin' ta my head? Wha' fame are ya talkin' about?"

"You are the bloody, friggin' Boy Who Lived! Don't tell me you don't know?" Snape asked angrily.

Stormy looked at Snape, a frown forming upon his face. "Ya sayin' tha' I am famous because I'm alive?" Stormy looked at Raven and caught her eye. "Shall we bow down ta ya, also? Cuz ya alive to?" The two children gave him a mock bow and Raven was trying desperately to hold in her laughter. She failed.

"You must be more dim-witted than I thought," Snape said.

"Fine," Stormy interjected, "enligh'en me on why I'm famous for bein' alive," he paused and scratched his head, "Wait a minute, Boy Who Lived, di' I live, then die, n' come back ta life 'n nobody knows it yet?"

Snape glared at the green-eyed boy; he had to be toying with him, there was no possible way that he could not know he was famous. The whole wizarding world knew about him, granted, the boy grew up on the streets, but he didn't leave the house until he was six. His relatives had to have told him. Snape knew this wasn't quite adding up, but he was Potter. "How did your parents die?" Snape asked bluntly.

"In a car crash," Stormy said hesitantly, looking curiously at the professor.

Snape looked hard at him and then turned to face the other child. "Is this true," he asked the girl.

"Tha's wha' th' Dursleys told us. They aint ne'er told us much," She answered.

Snape sighed; now he had to explain everything to both of them. These were the two most tiring children he had ever come across. They would give the Weasley twins a run for their money.

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A/N: I still haven't gotten them to the house yet. sighs It'll get better I promise! Please Review and I thank all of you who have been reviewing! You guys rock!


	7. In the Muggle House

The Raven and the Serpent  
PG-13 or T  
Disclaimer: sighs I still do not own HP.  
A/N: Wow, so the Internet isn't working so I figured I should probably work on this story while I'm waiting for it to work again and post it later. Also, I have copied the chapter and changed the accents to normal speaking for anyone who has difficulty figuring out the accents, it will be after the A/N at the end. Please know that I will only be doing this for this one chapter, you will find out why later in the chapter. So on with the story!

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"So, wha' ya think?" Rae asked as she flopped down onto the bed; they had made it to the 'muggle' house and her and Stormy had refused to live in separate rooms.

"I don' really know, it's all weird, 'splains why **They** ne'er liked us tha' much," Stormy answered slowly from his criss-crossed position where he was picking at the blue carpeted floor.

"Does it?" Rae asked hesitantly.

"Well, Aunt Petunia liked ya, tha' is th' only reason she helped us out."

There was hurt in Raven's eyes, "She woulda helped ya even if I wasn't e'er there, she wasn't tha' bad."

"Not to you," Stormy muttered darkly.

Raven was silent for a moment. "I'm goin' ta sleep."

Stormy didn't answer and only nodded his head before he spread out on the floor. He seemed to find the ceiling a very interesting object.

----------------------------------------

Severus Snape sighed a contented sigh. Peace at last, the two brats had disappeared into their new room where he had not heard a sound since. It was most likely because they had closed and locked the door. He looked around at the white and black tiled floor of the kitchen, he didn't know what Albus was thinking when he sent them to a muggle house in the middle of nowhere. It could have been a normal house with magical fixings, but no, for the children, Albus insisted, it would be too much, too abnormal, too abnormal for two street kids who faked their own deaths, leaving a perfectly good home behind. He had seen that house with his own eyes, he saw the normalcy of it, it was so normal for muggles it was practically insane…

He needed a drink, however drinking with two little brats running around did not seem like a good thing. Especially before they had even eaten supper yet. "Oh shit," Snape muttered; they'd only been here for less than a day and he never even fed them. He looked at the digital clock on the stove, _what an absurd place to put the clock_, it read 9:03pm. He walked towards the room that the two had deigned to stay in together and opened the door; surprisingly, it wasn't locked. He peered around the door and saw one bed empty and untouched and the second bed looked almost untouched except for the ebony child sleeping on top of it curled up into a ball. _Where was Potter?_ He looked on the floor and saw Potter sleeping next to the bed with his arms thrown in front of his face. _Typical Potter, I told him the story and now he wants more._ He closed the door ignoring the little nagging voice inside of his head. Perhaps it wouldn't just to have one drink…

---------------------------------------------

Severus Snape awakened to the sound of banging pots and pans and the smell of burning food. He swore half-heartily as he stumbled out of bed to quickly change and appear somewhat frightening, however, his throbbing head made him not to care quite so much, so he decided to dress decently. After all, even in his blurry morning state, it wouldn't do for him to be seen in his sleep clothes.

After he left his room and entered the kitchen he considered leaving the kitchen to disappear into his room and never come out again. He sighed and rubbed his head. "Miss Durs-, Miss Raven whatever you believe you are called, what is going on here?"

Rae turned around and flashed him a grin, something he had never seen the child do. "Well, I decided to cook breakfast for everyone!" she said, proudly brandishing a plate of charred…charred remains of something.

"Where's Pot-," he began but quickly cut off at seeing the angry glint in her still grinning face. "Where's your cousin?"

Raven put a finger to her mouth. "He's sleeping, ya see, 'e used ta a'ways cook for my family, it was one o' his jobs. I though' 'e migh' like it if 'e didn't have ta do it for once."

Snape fixed her with a calculating sneer.

"Wha'?" She protested.

"Your accent changes, it's not always the same," Snape said cautiously. _We whisper'd a rhyme 'n it worked._ "You see, for rhymes to work, you need to be able to speak properly."

Something dangerous flashed in her white eyes. "Wha' do ya care?"

"Yeah, why do you?" a new voice interrupted.

"Well thanks for proving it to him," Rae muttered darkly.

"He already knew and keeping stupid secrets like that wears me out," Stormy answered.

"Come over here so I can hit you."

"And get near where you were cooking? No thanks! I think there was a reason why Vernon and Petunia never made you cook," he said with a wry smile.

"You know I made this for you and the creepy dude! The least you can do is eat it!"

"As much as I like being called a 'creepy dude,' I would prefer it if you never called me that again, and you are also never allowed to cook in this house again. Do you understand me?"

"Come on, it cant be that bad," she said lifting a small piece of…well whatever she cooked to her mouth and chewed it.

"I do not want you burning down this house, or setting off the ridiculous muggle contraptions in the house. You are not to cook in this house. The same goes to your cousin, do you understand?"

"But Stormy's good at-," she faltered under Snape's glare.

"Yes," she whispered softly.

"Yes, sir," Snape corrected.

"Yes, sir," Rae muttered darkly, her eyes flashing dangerously and her face settling into a mask of stone.

"So, umm, what are we going to eat?"

Snape glared at the raven-haired boy.

Stormy huffed. "So, umm, what are we going to eat, sir?"

Snape closed his eyes; he had no idea how one used muggle contraptions and he had the feeling that the idiot child had used most of what was left preparing charred remains. He didn't want to say it; he didn't want to do it. He sighed. "I guess we'll have to go out to eat." Oh bloody hell, he did say it. It was going to be a long day.

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_A/N: Aww, poor Snape, he does a lot of sighing in this story. I'm not sure how the rest is going to play out so I'm going to leave it up to my reviewers. Does Snape get too see the horrors of the muggle world restaurants or will he take them to a wizarding place and perhaps the the two meet either Draco, Fred/George Weasley, or Draco, and Fred/George Weasley? It's up to you!_

"So, what do you think?" Rae asked as she flopped down onto the bed; they had made it to the 'muggle' house and her and Stormy had refused to live in separate rooms.

"I don't really know, it's all weird, explains why **They** never liked us that much," Stormy answered slowly from his criss-crossed position where he was picking at the blue carpeted floor.

"Does it?" Rae asked hesitantly.

"Well, Aunt Petunia liked you, that is the only reason she helped us out."

There was hurt in Raven's eyes, "She would've helped you even if I wasn't ever there, she wasn't that bad."

"Not to you," Stormy muttered darkly.

Raven was silent for a moment. "I'm going to sleep."

Stormy didn't answered and only nodded his head before he spread out on the floor. He seemed to find the ceiling a very interesting object.

----------------------------------------

Severus Snape sighed a contented sigh. Peace at last, the two brats had disappeared into their new room where he had not heard a sound since. It was most likely because they had closed and locked the door. He looked around at the white and black tiled floor of the kitchen, he didn't know what Albus was thinking when he sent them to a muggle house in the middle of nowhere. It could have been a normal house with magical fixings, but no, for the children, Albus insisted, it would be too much, too abnormal, too abnormal for two street kids who faked their own deaths, leaving a perfectly good home behind. He had seen that house with his own eyes, he saw the normalcy of it, it was so normal for muggles it was practically insane…

He needed a drink, however drinking with two little brats running around did not seem like a good thing. Especially before they had even eaten supper yet. "Oh shit," Snape muttered; they'd only been here for less than a day and he never even fed them. He looked at the digital clock on the stove, _what an absurd place to put the clock_, it read 9:03pm. He walked towards the room that the two had deigned to stay in together and opened the door; surprisingly, it wasn't locked. He peered around the door and saw one bed empty and untouched and the second bed looked almost untouched except for the ebony child sleeping on top of it curled up into a ball. _Where was Potter?_ He looked on the floor and saw Potter sleeping next to the bed with his arms thrown in front of his face. _Typical Potter, I told him the story and now he wants more._ He closed the door ignoring the little nagging voice inside of his head. Perhaps it wouldn't just to have one drink…

---------------------------------------------

Severus Snape awakened to the sound of banging pots and pans and the smell of burning food. He swore half-heartily as he stumbled out of bed to quickly change and appear somewhat frightening, however, his throbbing head made him not to care quite so much, so he decided to dress decently. After all, even in his blurry morning state, it wouldn't do for him to be seen in his sleep clothes.

After he left his room and entered the kitchen he considered leaving the kitchen to disappear into his room and never come out again. He sighed and rubbed his head. "Miss Durs-, Miss Raven whatever you believe you are called, what is going on here?"

Rae turned around and flashed him a grin, something he had never seen the child do. "Well, I decided to cook breakfast for everyone!" she said, proudly brandishing a plate of charred…charred remains of something.

"Where's Pot-," he began but quickly cut off at seeing the angry glint in her still grinning face. "Where's your cousin?"

Raven put a finger to her mouth. "He's sleeping, you see, he used to always cook for my family, it was one of his jobs. I thought he might like it if he didn't have to do it for once."

Snape fixed her with a calculating sneer.

"What?" She protested.

"Your accent changes, it's not always the same," Snape said cautiously. _We whisper'd a rhyme 'n it worked._ "You see, for rhymes to work, you need to be able to speak properly."

Something dangerous flashed in her white eyes. "What do you care?"

"Yeah, why do you?" a new voice interrupted.

"Well thanks for proving it to him," Rae muttered darkly.

"He already knew and keeping stupid secrets like that wears me out," Stormy answered.

"Come over here so I can hit you."

"And get near where you were cooking? No thanks! I think there was a reason why Vernon and Petunia never made you cook," he said with a wry smile.

"You know I made this for you and the creepy dude! The least you can do is eat it!"

"As much as I like being called a 'creepy dude,' I would prefer it if you never called me that again, and you are also never allowed to cook in this house again. Do you understand me?"

"Come on, it cant be that bad," she said lifting a small piece of…well whatever she cooked to her mouth and chewed it.

"I do not want you burning down this house, or setting off the ridiculous muggle contraptions in the house. You are not to cook in this house. The same goes to your cousin, do you understand?"

"But Stormy's good at-," she faltered under Snape's glare.

"Yes," she whispered softly.

"Yes, sir," Snape corrected.

"Yes, sir," Rae muttered darkly, her eyes flashing dangerously and her face settling into a mask of stone.

"So, umm, what are we going to eat?"

Snape glared at the raven-haired boy.

Stormy huffed. "So, umm, what are we going to eat, sir?"

Snape closed his eyes; he had no idea how one used muggle contraptions and he had the feeling that the idiot child had used most of what was left preparing charred remains. He didn't want to say it; he didn't want to do it. He sighed. "I guess we'll have to go out to eat." Oh bloody hell, he did say it. It was going to be a long day.


	8. A Muggle Restaurant

The Raven and The Serpent  
PG-13 or T  
Disclaimer: I don't own HP  
A/N: Hope you like this chapter.

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He wanted to bang his head, not on a wall, but on glass; that was the only way Snape would have been able to describe his emotions at this point. Not that he would, of course, tell anyone what he was feeling. He had quickly realized that he couldn't stray too far from the middle of nowhere, and while the house was a muggle house, it was not set anywhere near a muggle community, in fact he was closer to a wizarding village, Hogsmeade and the children would stick out like sore thumbs, a White Witch and Harry Potter. He had finally told the children that they could not go as themselves and they had disappeared into their room saying that they would be back.

As he studied the two in front of him, he wished fervently that he knew how to cook the muggle way. The two must have found make-up in the room (he supposed that Dumbledore had cooked this whole idea up) and had used it on both of them. No longer did the girl look like the White Witch she was born to be, but her ebony skin had taken on a sandy hue, contrasting with her hair that was hidden underneath an orange shawl, draping from her head to around her neck. She looked like a gypsy with the shawl and the brown skirt that fell to her ankles. He supposed that that would have to do. His gaze lingered on Potter; his face was still pale but his eyes were lined black, he had a jeweled piercing on the left side of his lip, he wore black jeans that were ridiculously oversized and a skin tight black shirt. Snape could not see his scar on his forehead; the boy must have covered it with make-up.

Snape glared at the two. "I meant, so you would appear inconspicuous."

Raven fingered a stray lock of her hair and grinned slyly. "The best way to be inconspicuous is to draw attention to a stupid reason, such as, the style we present ourselves in."

Snape bit his tongue. "Fine, I guess we'll drive to a muggle restaurant."

------------------------------------------------------------------

While the two children looked in awe at the sign, Snape gave it and the red haired clown his infamous death glare. It was a restaurant specifically designed for children but it was also the only restaurant in the 'ruddy' town.

"I guess he really didn't want ya to cook, Stormy," Raven piped up from behind the creepy man's legs. To Snape's utmost displeasure, the two had refused to walk in front of him but instead tailgated quietly behind, too quietly for his liking. Already, Snape had figured out that when the two terrors were quiet it meant they were up to something.

"I guess not, cuz he sorta looks like a vampire in this sorta setting."

"He does doesn't he?"

Snape merely lifted an eyebrow; he was quite used to being called a vampire, 'creepy dude' as the children had put it earlier. He was drawn out of his thinking, as he was next in line.

"Would you like a Happy Meal today?" asked the bubbly cashier. Snape's face was a stone mask.

"No, I would not like a- uh, Happy Meal today."

His sardonic voice didn't slight the cashier's too cheerful attitude in the least. "I meant for your two kids. Your son and daughter?"

"They are not my kids."

"…"

"I'm watching over them for a friend of mine," Snape gratingly said.

"Ah, you're the babysitter! Did the two children want Happy Meals?"

"Whatever kids normally get from here will do fine."

Severus Snape had never been more thankful to receive food in his life. He strode to the most cramped place of the restaurant that had been untouched by most others, with Harry and Trisha giggling in the background.

"Is that all you're going to eat?" Snape questioned when he glanced over at the remains of the food. The Fruity or Happy or whatever meal it was, had only been half-eaten by the two and there wasn't much food in the ridiculous boxes as it was. "I thought you were hungry?"

"We were," Rae began.

"But now we're not. We're full."

"I hadn't realized," Snape said dryly. He desperately wished the little people with the hammers would stop pounding his head. Oh wait, he was looking right at them. "That's it, we are out of here. Harry, Stormy, whatever, you can cook if you want, but only with my supervision."

"You have Supervision? Does that mean you have x-ray powers?" Rae exclaimed.

Snape's eyes flashed dangerously.

"Umm, Rae, I don't think that's what he meant."

"Oh."

That was enough for Snape. He stood up and began to walk out leaving the two children to follow him out the door. Unfortunately, it was not his day as he saw twin redheads walking in with their father.

"Stormy! Look at their hair! Stormy?"

Stormy had been looking down at the ground not quite paying attention to where he was going and had bumped into one of the twins. A few odds and ends had fallen out of his pockets, included a yellow rubber duck.

Rae looked around quickly and saw that Snape had quickly ducked outside and had seen none of what just happened. He seemed to be wrapped into the only shadows there were, below the golden arches. She looked back at Stormy, who was quickly trying to pick things up, but the red heads were also helping and the oldest red head had picked up the rubber duck and was looking curiously at it.

"Terribly sorry,"

"About that."

"We didn't,"

"Mean to,"

"Bump so disgracefully,"

"Into such fine,"

"Future pranksters,"

"As yourselves,"

"As you are,"

"Obviously ones,"

"With such,"

"Strange and,"

"Unusual objects,"

"In your,"

"Pockets." Finished the twins.

"We salute your ingenious," began Rae.

"And also your obvious magical aura," Stormy added.

"We always,"

"Wondered if,"

"We had,"

"An aura."

"Might we,"

"Ask if,"

"We could,"

"Know the,"

"Color? We,"

"Have always,"

"Wondered."

Raven and Stormy gave each other identical grins.

"We see a bright orange," Rae began.

"Befitting your prankster status."

"Now we must run along."

"Mister Snape is getting quite annoyed with us."

"Professor Snape!" The two twins exclaimed simultaneously.

"Gotta run," said Rae as she pulled Stormy through the door.

--------------------------------------The Kitchen

"Well that gives me an idea."

Stormy didn't look up from the bread and peanut butter, and merely lifted an eyebrow. "Really, what gave you an idea? The twins perhaps?"

"It is quite obvious that they do not need to speak how they do. But they do it anyway." She grabbed a jar of jelly from the white refrigerator. "They do it to test people, to try to annoy them as much as possible."

"Ah, I see where you are going. This guy made us stay, at least he thinks he did. So we annoy him as much as possible. Starting with what the twins taught us."

Rae smirked. "Exactly."

-------------------------------------------------The Living Room

"Mister Snape," Rae began.

"We have,"

"Brought you,"

"A most,"

"Excellent and,"

"Widespread meal."

"It is,"

"Known as,"

"Peanut butter,"

"And jelly."

"We hope,"

"You will,"

"Forgive us,"

"We didn't,"

"Use any,"

"Electrical appliances,"

"And I,"

"Was not,"

"Allowed to,"

"Put it,"

"Together."

Snape's eyes once again flashed angrily. "Did I not tell you that you were not allowed to cook without my supervision?"

"Well, it's,"

"Not really,"

"Cooking, Sir,"

"It's more,"

"Of putting,"

"Snacks together."

Snape glared. "Eat your lunch and go to your room. Do not come out until I say so. Stormy and Rae left the room. Snape looked around the living room and rubbed his still pounding head. A drink. That was what he needed. He set off to the kitchen. An hour later he headed back towards the living room where he stumbled over to the couch and collapsed.

-

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A/N: I still haven't gotten to the scene that will tie a lot of stuff together but I promise you, it will be in the next chapter. I have a lot of it playing out in my head so I'm hoping for a quick update, but I update sooner when I get more reviews.(hint hint).

**Please Review! I would like to know if I have Snape in character or if I have him totally whacked. **Also, I have no idea if there's a McDonald's and/or PB&J in Europe, so just forgive me.

ANGST WILL BE IN NEXT CHAPTER! I PROMISE!


	9. The Storm

The Raven and the Serpent  
Chapter Two: The Storm

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It had been an hour since Stormy and Raven had been told to go to their room. They sat in separate corners on the hardwood floor; Stormy in the darkest corner he could find and Raven was next to the window where the sunshine was pouring through.

"Why are we still here?" Stormy asked darkly, his back rigid and his eyes cold.

Rae stared at the floor refusing to meet his eyes. "I don't think he meant any harm," she answered hesitantly.

Stormy's cold eyes flashed dangerously as he began to speak in a harsh, hateful tone. "You don't think he meant any harm? No, he didn't mean any harm, just like **my** Uncle Vernon, like your **_daddy_** didn't. **_Of course_** he wouldn't harm his **precious** little girl. He just forced you onto your bed and took your clothes off. He didn't mean any harm when he started taking off his own and then he-,"

"Shut up!" Rae screeched, but Stormy wasn't done.

"He **raped** you, and you know it. He took **advantage** of you, night after night for-,"

"STOP IT! Please! Stop…please…" Rae was hysterical; her hands were shaking and her face was hot with fresh tears.

"Maybe you don't remember, but I do. The scars remind me everyday of what went on in that house." He lifted up his sleeve. "See? Tell me it doesn't say freak, because that is what I am. Tell me yours doesn't say whore."

Raven didn't speak; she had her knees tucked to her chest, her arms wrapped around her body and her fists were clenched tightly, digging her fingernails into her palms. Stormy had finished his tirade, but his eyes were left merciless as he stared past Raven, caught up in the past.

Two hours had passed and not a further word had been exchanged between the two. They both sat in their corners, unmoving with blank faces, Raven's with dried tear tracks upon them. Finally, Stormy's eyes flickered to look at Raven.

"I'm sorry." His voice was a cold monotone but Rae could feel the regret that was hidden under the words.

"Don't be."

"I am, though."

Rae's eyes flickered to meet Stormy's. "But you were right…" She paused and took a deep breath. "And he is my father, whether I like it or not. Even if I don't want to be related to him. You can't change blood."

Stormy walked over to Raven and pulled her close to him. "We cannot change who we are. We pretended to for a little while with the gang, but then again, we lived on the streets. We don't anymore, not for now at least."

Rae bit her lip. "But you're right; being locked up was how it all began. If we stay, it might start all over again."

"We escaped once, we can do it again."

"I'm tired of pretending."

Stormy nodded. "So am I."

Rae closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "My name is Trisha, Trisha Dursley and I cannot reject my own blood."

"My name is Harry, Harry Potter and I cannot reject my own blood either. To do so, I would reject my favorite cousin."

Rae smiled. "Same here."

-------------------------------Late at Night------------------------------

It was not until very late into the evening when a certain Severus Snape came to his senses after drinking a hangover cure. He quickly admonished himself for getting drunk with two eleven year old children in the house. He walked out of his room, preparing himself for the disaster that would surely meet his eyes. To his astonishment, there was no mess; in fact, there was not a thing out of place. It looked as if nothing had even been touched. "Shit," Snape muttered as he strode over to the children's room. He opened the door and stepped in.

As he stepped in he noticed a subtle change; the air in room felt different…it felt like…desperation and…it had felt so similar Severus, and then he had it. It was distrust. He narrowed his eyes on the scene before him.

Potter sat in a corner, his rigid back to the wall and his hands were clenched tightly around the girl. Raven was slumped against him, her legs drawn across her body almost touching her head that was hanging down. Her eyes were closed and Severus studied her face; her pale lashes were darker than he had seen before, and then he noticed the drying tear tracks beneath her eyes.

Snape took a step closer into the room.

"What do you want?"

Snape was taken aback by the hard grating voice. "Listen, Potter," Snape began, but the boy had already cut him off.

"No. You see, I _really_ hate drunks and I don't give a damn what they say."

"Now you look here, Potter; my drinking habits are none of your business. You will pay me more respect. Understand?"

Harry lifted his face, his emerald eyes dark with hate piercing Snape with an angry glare. "You're all the same. All adults. I'm glad Maugrim and Morgan escaped that fate."

"You have no common sense at all, do you Potter? Just like your father. Children cannot escape adulthood."

Harry smiled grimly. "They can if they're dead."

Snape pressed his lips together; this was not going how he planned, hell, he hadn't even planned it. "And who, exactly, do you know who is dead?" Snape had been sure that Potter's eyes couldn't get any darker, but they did. In fact, Severus could barely see any green at all left in them; a black cloud had misted over his eyes and his body began trembling. Snape chanced a glance at the girl only to see her eyes snap open, they lingered on him for but a moment before she stood up gracefully and walked away from her counterpart. She leaned carelessly against the wall and coolly crossed her arms.

Now, Severus Snape quickly realized two things: one, Albus Dumbledore never took child temper-tantrums seriously, and two, Albus Dumbledore had a liking for shiny, but breakable, objects. Thus, the children's room and for the next matter, the entire muggle house was decorated with these shiny and breakable objects. The problem at hand was painfully obvious.

Raven, or Trisha, now, had awakened to a tense situation. She knew it had to be bad for Harry had lulled her to sleep with a gentle nudge that would wear off slowly and she would be awakened slowly. However, she had been abruptly woken which surely meant that something was wrong. She watched the two with narrowed eyes; she would have no part in helping either of them. They both needed to learn.

Harry slowly but deliberately stood up and faced the wall behind him; a wooden shelf with crystalline objects was placed against the gold painted wall. "Don't," he began as he swept his hand through the shelf and the objects shattered as they hit the hardwood floor, the pieces reflecting the barely rising sun. (In Trisha's opinion she thought the shattered pieces looked nicer than the arrogant lion pieces that they were. She quickly shook herself back to the scene.)

"Don't," Harry began again, "assume that you know everything." He went to the next shelf where there were more crystalline lions place expertly on it. He seized one and threw it at the wall.

"That is enough, Potter," Snape icily cut it.

Harry smiled. "No," he drawled. "It's nowhere near enough," he said as he threw another lion, this one barely missing Snape's head.

Snape had had enough; he strode over to Harry, who in turn had finished smashing the lions, one by one, but quickly. Snape reached over to grab the boy, only to hear a monotone voice say: "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Snape turned to glare at the girl. "And why shouldn't I?"

"I suppose it doesn't matter," she said airily.

"I'll deal with you later," Snape answered as he turned back to Potter and grabbed his arm. "Now you listen here boy and you listen good. I will not live in this house with your attitude and blatant lack of respect. I will…" He trailed off as he looked at the boy's forearm. "What's this Potter? Have to cut yourself for more attention?" He pulled the boy's overlarge sleeve up and his eyes widen in shock.

"Like it?" Harry asked angrily. "Read it, don't you feel better, you're not the only one who hates me? See? It says _Freak_, F-R-E-A-K, because that's what I am. I'm a goddamn freak." He turned to Trisha, "You want to show him yours?"

Wordlessly, Trisha walked over and lifted her sleeve so that Snape could see the word "whore" carved into it.

"My Uncle Vernon was drunk that night, he thought that these would match nicely; 'the Freak and the Whore.'" The black cloud was slowly dissipating from Harry's eyes but his voice was still as hard as stone. "I don't care anymore."

Trisha stood up straight. "If you don't want us, we'll leave. We have no wish to stay where we are not wanted. If you don't mind us staying here, we'll stay out of your way. Please tell us by tonight, I don't want a hangover influencing your judgment, if that is what they do.

Severus took a deep breath. "Cook yourself whatever you want." He left the room.

"I'll cook," Trisha offered quietly.

Harry shook his head. "No," he began softly, "you wont."

--------------------------------Severus Snape's Room--------------------------

Snape had left the room in a daze, his robes billowing behind him as they had always done; even though his mind was numb his body portrayed his usual quick steps. He walked into his room and for the first time looked at it. The wall was painted a dark blue, a silver border decorating the top. The bed was covered in black sheets and next to the bed was a large mahogany desk complete with quills and parchment. He sat down at the desk and put his head in his hands.

_Freak._ The boy had the word 'freak' carved into his arm. It could have been a ploy but the beautiful but annoying and irritating girl had the word 'whore' carved into her's. He couldn't see any girl, even this one, willingly cut her arm in such a defining pattern. If it was one of Potter's games, it wouldn't make any sense. James would never muss himself up, apart from his hair, but then again, it wasn't James. It was Harry, but he was still a Potter.

He was the Boy-Who-Lived, famous for something he didn't remember, didn't even know about. Snape lifted his aching head. His relatives, they had to have waited on him hand and foot; it was obvious, the way his cousin treated him; she backed down at his touch and then refused to leave when he was building up the same rage that she had had before. If that was the case, then why did they leave? Why would Potter take the streets over his doting family and why would both of them refuse their own names? To top it all off, they were bonded, how or why, he had no idea. They faked their own deaths, fooling both the muggle and wizarding world. This was too much for two children to do even if it was for attention.

Severus squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. It couldn't be…. A White Witch and Harry Potter? No…but it did all fit; the pieces fit together perfectly. He sighed; he had a lot more questions for the two.

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A/N: I am SO SORRY that this has taken so long. I've actually had it written down for ages but over the summer we were moving and they packed up the computer and internet up WAY too early and then I had to work a lot and before I knew it, it was September. Time for college (BTW I'm there as either a kindergarten genius, an oblivious freshman, or a returning adult for the first time in twenty-three years, you pick, I don't care.) But I will be having a hard time updating more frequently, perhaps during the thanksgiving and Christmas breaks I will update more, but for now I can only do my best with updating. I'm sorry and I'll keep trying, I can guarantee no promises.

Oh and I almost forgot. PLEASE REVIEW! It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I'm really curious on how you liked this chapter.


	10. The Decision Process or lack thereof

The Raven and The Serpent  
Chapter 10: The Decision Process (or lack therof)

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Severus Snape nearly bit down on his lip; there was no decision to be made. That damn fool had already made it for both him and the two little brats. They were not going anywhere and neither could he throw them out; he'd be hunted by both Dumbledore and the Dark Lord, well as soon as the Dark Lord returned, of which Severus had few doubts that he wouldn't. There would be hell to pay for all Death Eaters.

Therefore, the biggest problem for him, was not Dumbledore's madly twinkling eyes or Voldemort's future wrath; it was how they were all going to survive the next couple of weeks. If he somehow didn't kill them, he was quite sure they would kill him; they could see a weakness in him that he was sure he had hid…How? Why?

Why? That damned question kept coming back to him.

Why were they living on the streets?

Why were their deaths faked?

Why did they bond with each other?

Why, why did they have those words carved into their arms?

And finally, why was this all so hard to figure out?

Severus tried not to think himself a cunning man; overestimation is likely to get one killed, but at the very least, he thought he was an intelligent man. So how come he could not come up with any answers?

_Good one. A question for a question._

_Shut up._

_No._

…

_Maybe, just maybe, it's because you don't want to know. The answer's right in front of you, but you just don't care enough to look at it. Running away, a cry for attention or a cry for help? Perhaps a combination of the two? Faking their deaths, strange, perhaps an escape of some sort? That could mean fear…The carvings of their arms is an obvious sign of abuse, in the girl's case it might be more. _

Severus's eyes snapped open. The bonding was a sign of desperation, to keep them together when everything was falling apart. The marks, the anger, the tenderness they only showed to each other, the ability for reading people and their use of Old Magic would only mean one thing…

He grit his teeth. He couldn't do it. He wouldn't do it. Hell, he didn't want to spend one day with two messed-up, abused, street kids (one a Potter's relative and a Potter nonetheless!) who act like they know everything and believe they have the power to do whatever they deem suitable.

He. Was. Not. A. Babysitter. He was head of the Slytherin house, full of messed up children of which he did not babysit either. This was **his** vacation.

He crumpled the unused parchment upon his desk, squeezing it into his fist as hard as he could. He couldn't loose his temper or get drunk anymore than he could throw the children out, and that, that irritated him to no end.

He would watch the brats, maybe even study them, but there was no way he was going to be their shoulder to cry on.

333333333333333333333333333333333333333333

"I hate him," Harry said vehemently, picking up the crystal bits from the floor.

"You do not," Trisha said, rolling her eyes, not quite taking his anger to heart. She open a black garbage bag and held it underneath Harry's hands.

"I hate all adults." He harshly threw in the pieces.

"If you hate all adults that also means you like them all the same amount. You need someone to use as a hate scale, so you can measure out your hate."

Harry tilted his head, his eyes peering into Trisha's. "Hate scale," he began, arching an eyebrow, "is that a new idea intended to infuriate me?"

She grinned devilishly. "It was an idea that merely had that side effect. I solemnly swear that it was not my intention."

"You never intend to do anything and yet we're always somewhere where we don't want to be."

"Like here?" She asked putting all joking to the side.

"Exactly."

"Then why haven't we left yet?" She asked, her face a mask of stone.

"Because, because you don't seem to want to."

"Bullshit."

"Is that American swearing I hear?" he taunted.

Trisha glared at him. "You know what I mean. We always leave is one of us doesn't want to be wherever we are. We either both like it, or leave, and you have yet to try to leave. So why do you want to stay?"

"…"

Trisha folded her arms across her chest and mockingly tapped her foot against the wooden floor.

Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm tired of running."

"We've discussed this point," Trisha answered tiredly.

"He doesn't seem like the worst person in the world and it's not like he's just going to get rid of us. He might want to but the old man's got something good on him. It'll probably be worth it to stay. It doesn't mean…" He trailed off, his eyes glazing over.

"Doesn't mean you have to like him," Trisha finished half-heartedly. "At least he doesn't like us too much, those people are harder to scam."

"Only because you get a guilty heart," Harry replied with a grin. "The people you don't care for are in for hell and out of everything."

"Well it's hard to let such opportunities past by, especially when you get to ruin their day and brighten up yours. Speaking of which, did you have to break all the crystal?"

They were to here to stay.

333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333

Three _Magical _days later…………….

The table just had to be small, much to their chagrin; it was a wooden square and only had enough room to seat one person at each edge. Harry and Trisha sat across from each other, picking at their food; they ate slowly and sporadically as if there was something wrong, but Severus noticed that they always ate like that, no matter what food they prepared themselves. They also tried extremely hard not to look him in the eye, or at him at all, for that matter, which contributed to a stuffy affair.

Severus, who was sitting across from no one (thankfully), felt something nagging at the back of his head. There was something about the two that was not quite right. He chewed the toast he had made, it was one of the few things he had learned how to make, and chanced a glance at the two. They were obviously ignoring him as best as they could, but they've done that for the past few days and it was not their best skill.

"So," he began and mentally chided himself; that was not a proper way to begin. He ignored the fact that both pairs of eyes stayed locked on their half-eaten food. "Why do you keep wearing the same muggle clothes everyday?"

Trisha, who was dressed in a pair of ripped blue jeans and a plain white t-shirt, looked up at him uncertainly. "The closet only had a variety of clothes the day we went to the restaurant, after that they all disappeared and these were the only ones left."

Severus cursed Dumbledore. "You mean to tell me, that neither of you have washed your clothes in three days?"

"We've gone a lot longer without washing our clothes," Harry replied without looking up.

"I see," Severus began. He would've berated them for not washing the clothes, but he had not seen a muggle device in the house to do such things. "I suppose this means we'll have to do some shopping today, since you also need your school supplies soon."

This time, Harry looked up sharply. He seemed to fight with himself before slowly answering, "But we have no money, at least not for a private school and such…"

"Are you daft, boy? You seriously think your parents left you without anything? And much to my _pleasure_," he twisted the word sardonically, "you are my charges and I will not have to unschooled and poorly dressed wizarding children besmirch the Snape name. We are going shopping today."

"Are you sure you just don't enjoy shopping, and being as you are, we are merely the best excuse to do so?" Trisha asked, her eyes sparkling with delight.

Severus glowered at the girl, who refused to back down and just sat there, grinning like an idiot.

"Forgive her, sir. She gets all giddy just thinking about shopping. It's in her nature."

Severus ignored the suave voice. "Shopping…or pick-pocketing?" he asked.

Trisha feigned hurt. "Such terrible things to say about a little girl," she gushed in a sickeningly sweet voice.

Severus winced; never again was he going to do that. Maybe he could turn them loose in Diagon Alley and he would be spared the torture. He could wait in a pub and the two would run off in the alley and do…He mentally swore, there was no way in hell he could release the terrible two into Diagon Alley alone.

He sighed. He was unfortunately and definitely going shopping with the two. The fates had to hate him. They just had to.

-

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A/N: Wow, sorry for the delay, but there's over five pages! So please review! (It inspires me to write more, especially now that I have time!)

REVIEW PLEASE!


	11. Diagon Alley:Part One

**_The Raven and The Serpent_  
**Chapter 11: Diagon Alley, Part One

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Harry looked from the rubbish bins to the red brick wall, staring at it curiously.

"It's glowin'," Trisha said breathlessly, looking at in awe. "This is where we goin' shoppin', 'aint it?"

To Severus's dismay, both of their accents kept slipping back to the horrendous street slang. He believed it was from walking around London. He also reminded himself to have the children turn out their pockets, but not until they arrived back at the house; he had no wish to make a scene in the middle of London, muggle or wizarding.

"The two of you," he began, drawing him up to full height and glaring fiercely, "will keep your hands to yourselves. If you try _anything_ with these people they will notice and will not be as pleasant as I was when they discover their valuables missing."

He didn't wait for a reply before jabbing the wall with his wand. He impatiently waited as the wall began to turn into an archway to Diagon Alley. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Trisha's eyes open wide with delight, but when he glanced over at Harry he saw that his eyes were downcast and narrowed, his head only slightly lifting to look at the variety of shops. The boy was probably still upset about the Leaky Cauldron. Oddly enough, he didn't seem to appreciate everyone gawking at him and he had stayed silent, his lips pressed tightly together accentuating his eyes that clearly had a 'go to hell' look about them.

"They're idiots," Trisha said without taking her eyes off the sights, snapping Severus back to the present.

Harry was silent.

"Will you get rid of your infamous 'go to hell' look, please?" she asked sweetly, making Severus cringe.

Harry playfully scrutinized her gaze when she finally turned to look at him. She grinned devilishly and a look of hard earned contentment settled on his face. Severus wasn't fooled, but then again, he reminded himself, he didn't really care.

"Where are we headed?" Harry asked casually.

"Gringotts," Severus answered,"I thought you two would like some pocket money so you can own something that is yours." _And stop stealing my possession…_

"But we have stuff that is ours," Trisha said with a pout forming on her lips.

Severus decided he didn't want to know the workings of her mind. "Stuff you haven't stolen?" Severus asked pointedly.

Harry smirked. "Well Trish, he does have a point."

"Too true," she agreed. A confused look befell her face. "But I don't have any wizard parents who left me money…"

Severus looked carefully at them; they were bonded with each other, that much was obvious, but they didn't seem to have an understanding of the benefits that came with their actions. "When you two bonded," he began, "how much did you know about what you were doing?"

"We were told that if we bonded we would, in a way, share a life force and would never be alone. If one of us is in trouble than the other one is too, but if one of us dies it doesn't necessarily mean that the other one will die. We were told that it would be unpleasant if unable to let the other go," Harry answered quietly. "Why? What does this have to do with money?"

Severus paused before answering; at least the two had some idea of what they did. He took a deep breath and began. "There are benefits in the wizarding world when you are bonded. You share the money and most assets; you most likely would have done so anyway even if it were not ordained by law. In a way, it is like marriage; you have all the benefits. However, at the same time it is not. Noting that you have primarily lived amongst muggles, I doubt you would like to be married to your cousin." Both their faces took on a disgusted look. "I thought not," he continued. "Although, it is hard for those who are bonded to persue a serious relationship and they tend to remain single all their lives. There have been cases where 'splitting' has been attempted, but all have ended unsuccessfully."

Even though Severus hadn't asked Harry or Trisha anything, they both nodded solemnly. The word 'splitting' had left a foreboding feeling in the air and ended any more conversation along with arriving in front of Gringotts.

It was a snow white building that towered over the little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold was a—

"Goblin," Trisha breathed and Severus looked at her calculatingly.

The said creature was about a head shorter than Harry and Trisha (who were about the same height), with a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and extremely long fingers and feet.

"Interesting," Harry said, catching Trisha's eye. They both took a step forward but Severus held them back.

"Goblins are very prideful and _strong_ creatures. Do not insult them," he said silkily. He then let them go.

As they walked inside the goblin gave a bow, which Harry and Trisha humbly returned. The goblin looked at the two in a wary sort of daze and Severus merely glared.

"There's two doors?" Trisha asked uncertainly when they stood in front of a pair of silver doors. Harry didn't answer; he was reading the inscriptions on the doors.

_Enter, stranger, but take heed  
Of what awaits the sin of greed,  
For those who take, but do not earn,  
Must pay most dearly for their turn.  
So if you seek beneath our floors  
A treasure that was never yours,  
Thief, you have been warned, beware  
Of finding more than treasure there._

"Damn," Harry whispered. "Now that's a warning."

_If only I said that_, Severus thought. "Language, Mr. Potter," Severus said and watched his eyes flare in anger that was quickly shoved away.

"Harry," he almost whispered.

Severus gave a curt nod. They turned to the goblins and both Harry and Trisha bowed first leaving a pair of wary goblins behind.

Within the marble hall Harry and Trisha quickly estimated that there had to be about a hundred or a hundred and fifty-three (Trisha's count) goblins working.

Severus strode up to the counter, the two seeming to have taken refuge behind his robes, and briskly spoke, "Potter's vault." From the folds of his robes he withdrew a tiny golden key. Neither Harry nor Trisha seemed to take much interest in the key; they were too busy looking at the pile of rubies that a goblin was weighing. Severus looked down to his right and saw only a glimpse of Harry before he slowly drifted back behind him.

"That seems to be in order," the goblin said.

Severus pulled out a letter and silently handed it over to the goblin who read it carefully.

"Very well," he said, handing it back, "I'll have someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!"

"Another?" Trisha asked out of the corner of her mouth. Harry gave her a warning look as they followed Griphook towards one of the numerous doors leading out of the hall.

Griphook held the door for them. Harry raised his eyebrows looking at the stone walls. "So it's not all marble," heard Harry and Severus. Severus looked sharply at Trisha who looked at them in confusion. Griphook whistled, seemingly oblivious to Trisha's outburst, and a cart came hurtling up the tracks on the floor. They climbed in.

Although the cart went through the twisting and turning passages at an unbelievable speed, Severus maintained his almost impassive face, scowling at times at the two who were clearly enjoying the ride; their eyes remained open for the whole ride and the girl looked like she was going to screech with delight.

The car stopped in front of a small door in the passage wall. They got out of the cart; Harry and Severus a bit less excited than Trisha and waited as Griphook unlocked the door. When it opened green smoke came billowing out and both Harry and Trisha furrowed their brows. However, all was forgotten as the smoke cleared and they saw the amount of coins in the vault.

Severus heard the gasps from them but they didn't seem as excited as he assumed they would be. He went and helped them pile some coins into a bag, explaining the money system to them while doing so.

"All this time," Trisha whispered, "all this time, we had all of this?"

Severus looked to Harry, whose face was turned away from him. He really hoped the girl wasn't going to cry. If she did he was carting her off to Potter.

On their way to the next vault, Harry and Trisha brightened up a bit, but on a whole, they were still more subdued. When they reached the next vault, the two children looked from the vault to Griphook. There was no keyhole.

"Stand back," said Griphook importantly. He gently stroked the door with one of his long fingers and it simply melted away.

Harry had a slight suspicion that Griphook delighted in being important.

"If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped in there," said Griphook, giving a pointed look towards Trisha who had her hand precariously close to the door. She put her hand down.

"How often do you check to see if anybody's inside?" Harry asked impishly. (Severus decided he was going to keep a _very_ careful eye on the two.)

"About once every ten years," answered Griphook with a rather nasty grin.

"Well we sure don't want anything that valuable," Harry whispered.

"Yeah," Trisha whispered back, "it could be hazardous to our health."

Griphook handed a small, grubby-looking package to Severus, who proceeded to stuff it into his robes. They climbed into the cart and headed back towards fresh air.

-

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A/N: I have shamelessly taken JKR's writing, but face it, she writes better than I do. I also believe that the characters are not going to change what they say merely because Harry is different. If you are in a monotonous job you tend to say what you were trained to say at most time.

Also, this is only the first half of the chapter. The more reviews I get, the quicker I'll update! I know how it's going to play out; I just need a little motivation.

Please Review! Criticism accepted and loved!


	12. Diagon Alley: Part Two

A/N: SO SORRY! I have left this for far too long so without further procrastination, here's the next chapter.

_The Raven and The Serpent  
Chapter 11: Diagon Alley, Part Two_

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The moment they stepped out, Trisha's face broke into a mischievous grin. "So where are we going first?" she asked hopping from foot to foot.

"First you will compose yourself in an orderly manner and then you will walk properly to Ollivander's without pulling anything," Snape hissed as he bended down to look the two small children dutifully in the eye.

"Yes sir," they responded.

A corner of Harry's mouth quirked. "We shall," He began, standing up straight and puffing his chest, "walk like bishops on a chessboard in diagonally."

"Well, maybe not like bishops," Trisha began, "at least not like the American ones. They're all old and creepy…and their vibes are a little off."

"Too true. But only bishops walk on a chessboard diagonally."

"At least you two can put two and two together," Severus muttered. "Now come, we should get your wands first."

Ollivander's was a small shop, but as it turned out, Harry and Trisha were not disappointed. Severus hadn't been sure what sort of reaction they would display, but their hungry eyes and creeping around the outside of the shop, wasn't anything close. They raised their arms halfway, as if touching something and Snape heard something crack and sizzle and he was immediately on his guard. Both heads turned and carefully scrutinized him.

"The magic…" Trisha breathed.

"It chose you," Harry said slowly, furrowing his brow.

Trisha curled her fingers in front of her and Severus heard the cracking again.

"We will talk about this…" he paused, searching for the right word, "development…later. We should get the shopping done and out of the way." Harry and Trisha nodded in agreement as they headed silently into the shop.

"How many boxes are there?" Trisha asked, while shifting uncomfortably and rubbing her arms.

"A lot," Harry responded, imitating Trisha.

"Good afternoon," spoke a voice.

"Good afternoon," Trisha answered as Harry and Severus both gave a slight nod.

"Ah yes, he began, "yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter." Harry made no acknowledgement and the man continued. "You have your mother's eyes. It seems that only yesterday she was in here buying her first wand—"

"Willow…Ten and a…wait," Harry said, his eyes a bit distant.

"And a quarter," Trisha finished. "Good for charms."

Severus noted how quickly Ollivander's head snapped towards Trisha, who in turn arched an eyebrow. "Trisha," she stated flatly.

"Pleased to meet you my dear," Ollivander began, "I see that you two share a…" he paused, as if searching for the right word, "a very special bond."

"As much as we would delight in pouring out our heartfelt stories, we really would like to buy our wands so we can finish our shopping," Trisha stated pointedly.

"Very well then. It is the wand that chooses the wizard of course. Ladies first."

"I'm not sure whether I should be insulted or flattered," Trisha drawled to Harry's side.

"At least I get to watch you do it first," Harry said with a grin. Trisha glared mockingly at him.

"Now which arm is your wand arm?"

"Umm…"

"The one you write with," Severus whispered.

"I like my right better."

They went through a few different boxes before they found the right one. "Ebony and dragon heartstring. Eight and a half inches." Trisha took the wand, and she felt a happy tingle run through her body. She raised it above her head and swung it lightly down, and a stream of silver and black stars shot out from the wand.

"Your turn," she whispered to Harry, clutching her newfound wand.

Ollivander didn't even touch the wands she tried, but still, they went through box after box until he pulled out a long black box. "I wonder if this one will work. Holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches. Nice and supple."

Snape gave a start and tried to cover it, but not before he saw Trisha's eyes glance calculatingly at him.

Harry took the wand and imitated Trisha. His body warmed immensely and he felt a sort of rush and multi-colored fireworks shot from the wand.

"Curious," Ollivander said, looking carefully at Harry.

"What's curious?" Harry asked.

"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter, and phoenix who gave that feather in your wand, gave only one other feather. It is very curious that you should be destined for this wand, when its brother was the one who gave you that scar."

Harry and Trisha were both silent.

"Yew. Thirteen and a half inches. I think we must expect great things from you Mr. Potter, and you too, Miss Dursley. After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things—terrible, but great."

The two were uncomfortably silent as they paid for their wands and left the shop. They were still silent when they went to Madam Malkin's and were measured for clothes. Severus was not sure if he liked them better quiet; at the very least, his ears had stopped ringing from the childish pitches. However, their silence was stuffy and uncomfortable and he noticed how both the children kept trying very hard not to flinch while they were measured and fitted.

When they left, Severus saw bleached blonde in his peripheral vision and hurriedly scooted the two to the bookstore. To his surprise, Harry and Trisha quickly became at home in the store, and continued searching even after they had found all their schoolbooks. Once he realized the majority of books they were looking at were curse books, he began to drag them away, not before they did select _Curses and Countercurses (bewitch your friends and befuddle your enemies…)_.

"You are allowed to bring a pet to school," Snape said uninterestedly. "If you decide to get one, you must be fully prepared to be responsible for it.

"What would you recommend?" Trisha asked.

"An owl," Severus said without hesitation. "They are very good at carrying mail, but that does not mean that they are nothing more than letter carries. Some children forget that."

"We'll look," Harry said and they went to Eeylop's Owl Emporium.

"Nice name," Trisha remarked as she headed in.

Severus slowly shook his head. He did so again, when they decided upon a fierce-looking Great Horned Owl, whose feathers were a deep brown with spots of red and white. They also bought treats and food and seemed to have quickly fallen in love with the owl, and began debating over names.

When they were back at the house, Severus seated them down (with the owl) and faced them. "Now, would you care to explain exactly what happened outside of Ollivander's?"

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A/N: I know, extremely cruel to end it there, especially when I have left it for so long. Hopefully I will update soon, and thank you for all the reviews. I hope you enjoyed it and didn't completely forget about it. I almost did, but now I have Inspiration. drags Inspiration over

Please Review!


	13. Chosen

A/N: This is probably the fastest that I have ever update. Thank you for the reviews and although this chapter is short, the next one is in the works.

_The Raven and the Serpent  
Ch.12: Chosen_

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"You will explain what happened," Severus repeated when the two did not answer.

"It's a complicated story. Give us time to figure out where to begin," Harry answered, a slight edge to his voice. Severus bit back a retort.

"The magic chose you," Trisha began. "On the surface, you seem like a rather unlikely candidate, but if the magic chose you then it must see something that we don't see."

Harry's eyes flicked to meet Snape's. "If you wear a mask too long, it begins to meld."

"You talk as if the magic is sentient," Severus stated, ignoring Harry's previous statement.

"Of course," Harry and Trisha answered in unison.

"It is uncommon for many fully trained adult wizards to even acknowledge that fact."

"Probably because they're all numbskulls," Trisha muttered harshly.

"So, what exactly is going on?" Severus ground out.

"The magic chose you," Trisha repeated.

"Yes, Miss Dursley. We've gotten that part."

"And you obviously realize that the magic is sentient," Harry began.

"Do make your point."

"The magic is neither good or bad, but there are things in the world that can just feel wrong, where your skin crawls and all hairs stand on end, and it's extremely cold, even in the hottest of places. Sometimes, there can be good things that just feel right, where everything is warm and you just feel relaxed in their or its presence," Harry added.

"You feel this all the time?" Severus asked.

Trisha shook her head. "Only when it really matters. Me and Harry tend to be more sensitive than most."

"If we had it all the time, full-strength, it would be overwhelming until we grew used to it and our guard would be lowered."

"Why not someone else then? Why not, say, Headmaster Dumbledore?" Severus asked interestedly.

"That old coot?" Trisha laughed. Then thinking about it, she added, "He means well, I suppose, but he's far too old to remember a child's mind."

"It could be that his life circumstances just don't match," Harry said. "The few people the magic did choose, their lives had been somewhat similar to ours."

"Who were those people?" Severus asked. Finally they were getting somewhere.

"The gang," Trisha said softly.

"And who were they?"

Harry held up a hand. A fire danced behind his eyes. It was the first real light Severus had seen that was saved for his cousin. "Not yet. If we're going to pour out our life story for you, you better be giving us something in return."

Severus nodded. "Do you have rules?"

"It's not a game. It's a conversation," Trisha scathingly replied.

"The gang, then."

Harry began. "After we faked our deaths we had nowhere to go but the streets. We met three others. Vivian, Clyde, and Woolse. Clyde and Woolse were brothers, by looking out for each other, they were more willing to help the newer street kids. Vivian was new, but older than us and she learned fast. They took us into their group and for awhile we were alright, but all gangs have territories and some were looking for more. There were fights. The last one, we lost."

"Touching as this may be," Severus began, "what exactly does this have to do with being chosen?"

"The magic chose them," Trisha answered. "Everything just felt right and they noticed it too. We became extremely close, and our vibes seemed to rub off on them. We assume that it happened because, at that time, our needs were so similar that it just all clicked."

"I see," Severus said dryly.

"Do you?" Harry asked.

"What are you searching for, Mr. Snape?"

Their gazes seemed to bore into him and, uncharacteristically, he wanted to tell them. But it was as if the word was taken right from his tongue.

"Atonement," Harry stated, a furrow in his brow.

"You've been searching for a long time," Trisha added.

Severus laced his fingers together. "Then you are also searching for atonement."

"Perhaps," Trisha answered, "but maybe not in the same sense of meaning."

Strangely, for the first time, Severus noted signs of exhaustion on their features; their eyes seemed slightly glassy, their heads tilting off to one side, and their arms were set limply on the table. "Go to bed. You are both tired and need sleep."

There were no side comments or rebuttals. Not one sound of protest, just a polite, "Yes sir," and they were off. Now he had time to think.

He went to his room and looked longingly at the alcohol. It would've been so refreshing. With a sigh, he hid it from sight.

Dumbledore would've loved this, the two brats deciding he was…what? Good to hang out with? To watch them? He suddenly realized that he had no idea what being chosen meant. He could admit (not to anyone else) that he did feel a bit more at ease with the children. The girl, Trisha Dursley, was easy to like (aggravating though she was) with her quick wit and sharp mind and he would give hell to the man who touched her so carelessly. Severus was not the Head of Slytherin for nothing; he noticed how the girl shied away from any touch, more so from males. Except for Potter. The boy obviously cared in ways his father probably had not at his age, although, there was a temper that was biding its time. He had Lily's eyes. While there was rarely a spark in them, when there was, they were exactly Lily's eyes, as if they had come from beyond the grave.

Obviously the blood wards would not work at Privet Drive; he doubted either of the two would call Privet Drive home. They would not go back. He couldn't let them. And with a start, Severus realized just what being chosen meant.

He went to check on the two, and found them both curled on the floor next to a pile of books. A big pile of books, most of which were opened and the pages crinkled. He closed the door and went back to his room.

The next morning they all sat at the table looking extremely refreshed. In an odd sort of effort to make small talk (and to figure out if they were going to waste their time) Severus asked them what they had planned to do today. With a clink, Harry and Trisha dropped their spoons and stared bewilderedly at him.

"Well?"

Choking down her food, Trisha replied, "Books!"

"And would that be the Curse books?"

"We have to learn the basics first," Harry said with a pointed glare at Trisha, who pouted.

"That is a good idea, Mr. Potter."

"Hey Trish, I think that was a compliment."

"I think you're right. Oh wait…he's leaving."

"Why?"

"You did accuse him of complimenting you."

"Too true."

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A/N: I do realize that I keep switching between Snape and Severus, but I have been attempting to stick to Severus, however, once they get to school I might stick with Snape, at least from Harry and Trisha's view. Also, I'm trying to keep them young but since they know more than your average eleven year old, it's hard to keep that balance. If you think I've made them act far too old, please tell me! (It's been awhile since I was eleven). We are getting really close to Hogwarts, there's maybe one or two more chapters before we reach it. I hope you like how it's going!

Please Review!


	14. The beginning of something different

The Raven and the Serpent

Ch. 14

A/N: I am sooo sorry for the long delay! Good news is I only have a part-time job and writing is a priority this summer. Even though it has been ages, please review!

Also, I have a poll for after you read this. If you could take a moment, it will help with the next chapter.

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The color of the boy's eyes should've been brighter, more filled with vibrance, but they weren't. They were dull, life hidden behind errant clouds of gray, as if they were judging him still. The boy's body was thin and fragile-looking, as if he could be swept up by the wind, like a minute twig flailing from a sparrows nest. Although his demeanor was normally uptight, body still with his eyes ravenously picking apart his surroundings, today he was unnaturally subdued.

Of course, his constant counterpart, just as stick-like, was (as always) the variable in the equation. Trisha was smiling, pale lips slightly stretched, baring her yellowish teeth, made even more yellow with the unnatural whiteness of her small body. She slapped Harry lightly on the arm, and said, "Something's good's coming. I can feel it." And with that, she turned back to her bowl of porridge on the table.

A hint of a smile pierced through the boy's face, and his eyes brightened, just for a moment, and Severus felt, that maybe, just maybe, those eyes weren't convicting him, and his heart grew light, before he stomped out the idea.

He strode into the room and a soft of chorus of 'Good morning,' greeted him, both still absorbed in their bowls of porridge. He didn't understand their strange fascination for the bland meal, but he took note of the large lump of brown sugar diluting within Trisha's own bowl. He also took note, that the boy, 

('Harry,' he tried to force himself to think) frowned at the large lump while eating his own, gray, porridge.

Severus sat down at the table, and both heads glanced up and acknowledged him. Ever since the whole 'chosen' incident, they had become almost unbearingly polite. The strange thing was that it didn't irritate him all that much. What he did find irritating was the fact that their unnerving politeness didn't bother him. And that bothered him. The two had also not opened up any more to him; it was as if they were biding their time, but Severus had no wish to encourage them to open up. The matter was currently at rest.

"All business this morning, are we?" Harry asked with a mouthful of porridge.

Severus eyed him with distaste. "I would prefer if you would refrain from exhibiting your delightful breakfast, whether you are in my presence or not."

Trisha made a show of swallowing the half piece of buttered toast she had carelessly stuffed in her mouth, and then opened it wide to both Harry and Snape.

"That is also inappropriate, Miss Trisha," Severus said, "And yes, I'm all business this morning." He fished out two tickets and laid them on the table. "These are your tickets."

Harry and Trisha both leaned over, their shoulders hunched to their ears, and examined the tickets. They looked up to Severus dumbfounded.

"Platform Nine and Three Quarters?" she asked slowly, as if she was speaking to a small child.

"I can honestly say I've never heard of such a thing," Harry added, his gaze still focused on the ticket.

"It is a Wizarding train, and if you allow me to explain exactly what is going on, I will you tell you how to find and board the train."

"You're not coming with us?" Trisha asked, and Harry's head jerked from the ticket to study Snape's black eyes.

"On the contrary, Miss Dursley, I will be dropping you off, but it will be your duty to walk through the passageway and board the train."

Harry fiddled with his ticket, interest growing in his eyes as he lifted an eyebrow and asked, "And how will you be going to Hogwarts?"

"I have other modes of transportation as I would prefer not to spend my time with a trainload of squabbling eleven-year-olds. Now I suggest you start packing, unless, you'd rather miss the train tomorrow morning…"

Grinning and clutching their ticket, Harry and Trisha scampered off, and Severus breathed a sigh of relief. The last three weeks had been trying; even though they had been polite, they were not above trying out magic. The two had delved deeper into their books, specifically their curse and bewitching ones, and while Severus could catch most of them, he woke one morning to find his hair streaked blonde. After that, he had a good 'talk' with both of the children and urged them to work on more practical spells. To his dismay, he later realized one of their favorites had been 'Alohomora.' Severus prayed that the two would not become friends with the Weasley twins.

* * *

"Look at her hair, Harry!" Trisha exclaimed, pointing out a young girl with red hair begging to go with the rest of her family. Harry sighed and shook his head. While Trisha was fierce and sometimes scary to be around, she had a thing for red hair, and adored all types, so it was no surprise she found this family of redheads most interesting.

"Hey, it's the twins we met at the restaurant," Harry said, nudging the excited girl.

"It is! You think they'll remember us?" Trisha asked.

Harry's eyes flashed. "We weren't ourselves then, remember?" he said pointedly. "Besides, they can't know we were with him. Nobody's supposed to know."

Trisha stuck out her tongue. "Since when do you follow rules when nobody tells us why?"

"Because like it or not, he was chosen, and that's always worked out for us," Harry hissed. "And he seemed really serious."

"He always seems serious," Trisha muttered as they walked towards the barrier between platforms nine and ten. She lightened up as she saw one of the redhead boys walk through the barriers.

"Well doesn't he look pompous?" Harry whispered in Trisha's ear. She giggled.

They walked past the last redhead boy, who was the youngest-looking, apart from the girl, and through the barrier. The two looked in awe at the scarlet steam engine and the wrought-iron sign behind them. The moved fluidly through the mass of people; years of dodging people on the streets had taught them how, and boarded the train without a problem.

They found an empty compartment and watched the redhead family theatrics from their window. "It's slike a cute little movie," Trisha cooed. Harry snorted. They settled back as the train began to move.

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A/N: I was going to write more, especially since it has been ages since I've updated, but I've come across a slight problem. As nobody knows where the famous Harry Potter is on the train (nobody noticed them) anybody can come into the compartment. I can't decide who should come in first, Ron or Draco. I can do the story either way, but whichever one comes in first will affect the outcome of the story. So please do 

the poll, and the sooner you do it, the sooner the chapter should be up. I will not wait forever again! I promise!

Please review. Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated, and I only had one review last chapter. If you hated it for some reason, please tell me why.


	15. When it all begins

The Raven and the Serpent  
Chapter 15: When it all begins

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_/__They found an empty compartment and watched the redhead family theatrics from their window. "It's like a cute little movie," Trisha cooed. Harry snorted. They settled back as the train began to move./_

Harry slid back in the seat and twiddled his thumbs. "So," he began slowly. He didn't get a chance to finish as the door to the compartment slid open and a rather frail looking blonde haired boy walked through flanked by two heavy-set boys. Trisha carelessly raised an eyebrow at Harry and stared at the three.

"I heard Harry Potter was coming to Hogwarts this year," the blonde-haired boy said stuffily. "I'm Draco Malfoy. You're him, aren't you?"

"And what if I said no?" Harry drawled, still casually leaning back on the seat.

"Then you'd be lying; you have the scar," Draco said.

"Well lucky me," Harry answered. "Although, I am curious as to who you are. I mean, if you have two such wonderful bodyguards flanking your every move, you must be someone of importance."

"Of course I am someone of importance; I am a Malfoy," Draco stated proudly.

"Well that explains everything doesn't it?" Trisha jutted in.

Draco's eyes flashed as he looked from Harry to Trisha and back to Harry. "I'd be careful if I were you, Potter, you don't want to make friends with the wrong sort," he said looking at Trisha.

"I'm not sure if you understand who she is," Harry said.

"It's obvious she's a muggle-born. A white witch and all," Draco spat.

"She's also my cousin," Harry said, tilting his head to the side. "I wouldn't be quick to judge someone, before you have an aptitude for their power. Obviously you're not very smart, and I don't think I want you here."

Draco's face turned pink and he strutted out the door, his two guards following.

"Well that was fun," Trisha remarked dryly.

"Yes, pleasant…" Harry answered back and they continued much of their journey in silence. Well, maybe not quite once the nice dimpled lady came around with a cartful of candy. Excited, they bought a little bit of everything and they each tried bits here and there. Trisha continuously tried Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, even though she kept spitting them out in disgust. Harry finally contented himself with the chocolate frogs, especially when he realized there were trading cards in them.

"Hey! It's that annoying old coot we found!" Harry said after opening his third chocolate frog.

Trisha leaned over as they both read the back.

Albus Dumbledore  
Currently Headmaster of Hogwarts

Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore his particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.

Harry flipped the card back over only to discover the picture had disappeared. "It's gone!" he exclaimed.

"Probably some wizarding thing," Trisha replied.

There was a knock on the compartment door and a round-faced boy, a little on the plump size walked in. "Have either of you seen a toad?" he asked frantically, looking a bit on the tearful side.

"No, sorry," said Trisha apologetically.

"I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!" the boy wailed.

"He'll turn up, you'll see. Pets always do," Harry said.

"Yes, well if you see him…" His dejected form left the compartment.

"Such drama already. We didn't have this much drama with Maugrim and Morgan," Harry said.

A wistful smile passed over Trisha's face, before it faltered off. "It's in the past," she said.

"And this is the future," Harry said, "but," he held up his hand as Trisha opened her mouth, "we have a new life, and one day, he's going to want to know."

Trisha bit her lip and dug into her bag for a book. Drawing out one of her curse books, she started flipping through it. Harry sighed and settled back down until the compartment door slid open again. The weary round-faced boy was back, but at his side was a bushy haired girl already dressed in the Hogwarts robes.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said. Trisha shook her head no, and the girl caught a hold of her book. "Are you reading extra? I've already read all the textbooks and tried a few spells, they've all worked for me so far. I was so excited to learn I could do magic. Nobody else in my family could do magic. And oh it's a curse book. Are we allowed to curse? I wouldn't think so, but then again it would make sense to try out all different types of magic so we could learn more. Oh! And my name's Hermione Granger by the way." She finally took a breath.

"I'm Trisha Dursley," Trisha said sticking out her hand. Hermione grasped it with a relieved smile.

"And I'm Harry Potter," Harry said, also sticking out his hand. Hermione grasped it, and her relieved smile turned to one of recognition and shock.

"I've read all about you. I got some books for background reading," and she listed a variety of books she had found him in.

Harry's jaw dropped. "I'm in all of those?"

"Yes, you're famous didn't you know?"

"Well, sort of…I didn't know I was in books…"

Suddenly Hermione's smile dropped. "Oh I'm sorry. It has to be awful, you know, people knowing about you and what you did, and thinking your great, when it really was just so horrible…"

"You're fine," Harry said.

"Well on another note, do you know what house you'll be in? I'm hoping I'll be in Gryffindor, it sounds the best. You know, Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad…Anyway, we ought to go find Neville's toad. You two should change. We should be there soon." And with that little rant she left.

After Harry stared at the closed compartment door in shock, they both changed into their robes.

"I like her," Trisha said.

"You would," Harry said, "you and her are probably the only ones who can understand each other."

"You like her too," Trisha added.

"I don't hate her…" As he trailed off a voice wafted through the train, stating the time until they reached Hogwarts.

"It's like a PA system," Trisha said.

"Yeah," Harry answered.

"Almost there…"

"Almost there."

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A/N: I know there are 73 people who have this on their alert system. If any of you could do me a favor and drop a review, it would be hugely appreciated. And for those who enjoy pointing out mistakes and have ideas on how a story could be made better (also known as constructive criticism), I would love to hear it.

Please Review!


	16. The Sorting

The Raven and the Serpent  
Chapter 16

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"You alright?" Trisha asked Harry as they walked off the train. "You're looking kind of pale…"

Harry was indeed pale, almost sickly-looking, and his stomach was tight with anxiety. "'m alright," he mumbled.

Trisha rolled her eyes. "Sure you are," she muttered sarcastically.

"Firs' years! Firs' years!" a loud voice boomed over the mass of scurrying students, all dressed in the black Hogwarts robes.

"I assume we go over there," Trisha said, yanking Harry's hand and dragging him with her.

"C'mon! Follow me!" The booming voice belonged to a gigantic man, waving a lantern in his burly lamp. Harry grew even paler. While he didn't feel any malevolence from the huge man, he did feel unbelievably small next to the hairy giant. Giant, being the only word Harry felt that could subliminally describe him. Trisha wafted an uncertain smile towards Harry; they had never been in this type of situation before, and there were no easy escape routes. In fact, they wouldn't even be able to run anywhere, not without a lot of packing and finding necessities. For the current time, they were stuck. Even at Professor Snape's (they now had to call him that) adobe, they had never felt so locked in…trapped.

As they followed a downward rocky path, Harry gripped Trisha's hand. Whoever needed it more was a forever-lasting question.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," the man boomed, "jus' 'round this bend here."

"Does he only have one volume of voice?" Harry asked weakly, straining a smile for Trisha.

Trisha returned a wilted smile. "Maybe," was all she said.

"Hey look! We've been there!" Harry said amusedly, traces of his anxiety being pushed down to his core. Trisha lightly slapped him. Everyone else 'oohed' and 'ahhed.' Both Trisha and Harry had the decency to act nonchalant.

"No more'n four to a boat!" the man shouted once again, pointing to a selection of diminutive-looking boats soaking in the black lake.

"What about six?" Harry asked, glancing at Trisha, who shook her head bemusedly, and ignored his spontaneous question.

They clambered into a boat on the end, followed by the boy who had lost his toad, Neville, and by the bushy-haired Hermione. Both looked extremely relieved at finding a boat. Both Hermione and Trisha could barely sit still, and rocked the boat uncomfortably the whole way. Harry noticed that all the other boats glided across the lake; theirs being the only one that rocked back and forth. "I blame those two," Harry said to Neville, pointing at Hermione and Trisha. Neville was an unhealthy shade of puce, and did not reply. Harry wasn't entirely sure Neville had even heard him.

Harry could see the relief in Neville's face as he got out of the boat and onto land. He also noticed that Hermione and Trisha had grown even more fidgety, and severely wished they would calm down a little. His nerves combined with Trisha's were not a pleasant feeling, especially since Trisha had started feeding off of Hermione's nerves.

"Oy! You there! Is this yer toad?" the loud man asked.

"Trevor!" Neville all but nearly squealed, running to pick up his toad.

They walked up the steps and the man knocked on the door. The massive doors swung open at once to reveal an older lady dressed in emerald green robes, with graying black hair pulled into a tight bun. Her face was severe, and Harry had a feeling she would be a difficult lady to cross.

"Let's not get into too much trouble with her," Trisha whispered to Harry. She cringed as she saw the lady's eyes sweep over her small frame, and she nudged herself closer to Harry.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," the man said.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take it from here," the witch said.

"Hagrid," Trisha rolled off her tongue. "How fitting," she said quietly. Harry kicked her in the shin, and she glared at him in mock-hurt, but fell silent nonetheless.

Harry, Trisha, and the rest of the students followed Professor McGonagall through the castle, across the stone floors, to a small, empty nook apart from the hall. Voices sounded through a doorway towards their right, and Harry wondered why everyone else was already there.

Harry listened with rapt attention to the speech the witch was giving, not because he was particularly interested, but because it was taking his mind off all the nervous people around him. Trisha, while looking seamlessly bored, was listening with all due attention, but rather than be pegged as a goody-goody, felt that in all sensibilities, it was better to pretend to not pay attention and learn at the same time, but also keep one from being squashed during recess. As dumb as her brother Dudley Dursley was, he had taught her the nature of school kids. She only wished Harry had learned the same, of course, he was normally the one being squashed on the playground, if only for a few years of his life. Still, Trisha knew Harry's guard was up; it was always up, especially in cases such as this, where such a crowded room could mean possible danger.

"…The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few moments. I suggest you all smarten yourself up," Professor McGonagall finished. Harry noted how her eyes glazed over the students, taking time to rest on one of the red-haired boys whose nose was smudged, and Neville's rumbled robes. During the boat ride, Neville had been clutching onto his robes, giving the reason of his mussed up robes. Harry started to pat down his hair, before he remembered he had started growing it long. It almost covered his ears, and the extra weight was keeping from being quite as unruly as it used to be. He also saw Trisha tucking her white locks behind her ears, a little bit repetitively, a nervous habit she had developed.

"What do you think we'll have to do?" Trisha asked worriedly, glancing curiously at Hermione who was frantically whispering different spells.

"…Fred said it hurts a lot. But I think he was joking." Harry shook his head at the funny red-head boy's musings. He found the family rather amusing, and thought it strange that the boy would take anything the twins said seriously. Trisha obviously agreed as she grinned and gave a little snort of laughter.

Has Harry and Trisha were nervously scoffing at all the wild ideas, they didn't notice as a bunch of ghosts floated through the walls. A collective gasp went through the room, and Trisha and Harry looked around. "Hey! Ghosts! Sweet," Trisha said.

"You might want to shove off with the Yankee words," Harry whispered to Trisha.

"But they're fun!" Trisha whined, listening to the ghosts' conversation. "I wonder who Peeves is?" she asked, not really expecting an answer.

McGonagall's sharp voice cut through the room. "The Ceremony's about to start," she said, and the ghosts floated away through the wall. The students were told to form a line, and single file they followed McGonagall past the doors. Neither Harry or Trisha had been in this part of the castle before. Four elongated tables seated the older students. Above them was a night sky, vast amounts of candles danced above their heads, beneath the black ceiling dotted with stars.

"It's bewitched to look like the sky outside," Hermione said. "I read about it in Hogwarts, A History." To anyone else, Hermione would've sounded like an insufferable know-it-all, but Harry could sense the longing in her voice. She was worried…scared. Harry thought she was putting up a very brave front.

"Well if that isn't an ugly hat," Trisha whispered to Harry. Harry looked up and saw that McGonagall had placed a very old, patched and frayed hat on a stool. Crazily, Harry wondered if they had to pull a rabbit out of the hat, but quickly shook off the idea as ludicrous. He noted that everyone was staring at the hat. He thought that perhaps he ought to stare at the hat too. So he did.

Suddenly, the hat opened a rip and began to sing. Trisha raised an eyebrow, and Harry muttered, "Bloody hell."

"_Oh you may think I'm not pretty,  
but don't judge on what you see,  
I'll eat myself if you can find  
A smarter hat than me."_ –"Really? Let's find it," Trisha interjected. Harry kicked her again.  
_"You can keep your bowlers black,  
your top hats sleek and tall,  
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
And I can cap them all.  
There's nothing hidden in your head  
The Sorting Hat cannot see,"_-At this Harry and Trisha shifted uncomfortably.  
_"So try me on and I'll tell you  
Where you ought to be.  
You might belong in Gryffindor,  
Where dwell the brave at heart,  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
Set Gryffindors apart;  
You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
Where they are just and loyal  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
And unafraid of toil;  
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
If you've a ready mind,  
Where those of wit and learning  
Will always find their kind;"_-"Holy crap, this is a long song," Trisha said. Harry sighed.

_"Or perhaps in Slytherin  
You'll make your real friends,  
__Those cunning folk use any means  
To achieve their ends.  
So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
And don't get in a flap!  
You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

Everyone, excluding Harry and Trisha burst into thunderous applause. Harry and Trisha only uncertainly clapped slowly. "Well that was interesting," Trisha said. They watched the first few sort into Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Slytherin before Trisha was called.

"Dursley, Trisha!" Trisha visibly winced at the use of her name. Harry lent her an encouraging smile as she sat down on the stool and pulled on the ugly hat. "You think I'm ugly," said a small voice in her ear. Trisha bit her tongue. "There's no need to try and block me, my dear. No amount of occlumency will keep me seeing your secrets." _You don't need to see my secrets_, Trisha thought. "But I already have," the hat said. "You've had a very dark life, you'll do best in…SLYTHERIN!" the hat shouted aloud the last word, and Trisha walked to the table, amidst hesitant, but healthy amount of applause. She sat down to the first year slytherin sorted before her, Millicent Bulstrode.

The next person Trisha knew to be sorted was Hermione Granger, who ended up in Gryffindor. She gave Hermione the same encouraging smile Harry had given her, and Hermione warmly accepted it. Of course, she was beaming so much, Trisha couldn't even be sure that's what she was accepting. Finally, it was Harry's turn. Instead of looking pale, he now looked positively green as he was called.

Harry walked up to the stool. It was deathly silent; it even felt as if everyone in the whole room were holding their breaths. He did not even look at Snape at the head table. He didn't want to know what the man would have thought about this. Harry carefully pulled the hat on his head, and nervously listened to the voice in his ear. "So much like your…cousin," the voice said. _Just get on with it_, Harry snapped at the hat. "Impatient, are we? A dark past also. No need to try and block me. It won't work. Hmmm…even if you did have a stronger calling to another house, I would not be able to split you up. You two have the strongest bond I've seen in a hundred years. It better be…SLYTHERIN!" Harry grinned, relieved to be in the same house as Trisha, and while Trisha clapped enthusiastically, the rest of room did not clap quite so much. In fact, barely at all.

"Guess they like you less than they liked me," Trisha remarked as Harry sat down next to her. The whole of the Slytherin table stared at them curiously.

"Having fun sizing me up?" Harry asked. Most of the students had the decency to look down, but the rest merely looked away, but then looked back again. "Ah well," Harry sighed. "At least we got the coolest sounding house."

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A/N: Wow, that chapter was longer wasn't it? I worked very hard on this chapter. Any comments at all would be extremely appreciated!

Please Review!


	17. Classes and Discussions

The Raven and the Serpent  
Chapter 17

A/N: Here's a nice long chapter. Won't you be kind and review? Please? Also, congratulations to dverducci who was the 90th post! Can we make a hundred? Thanks to all who reviewed!

This chapter was beta-ed by my brother, Speakerofwords.

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The air was cold and stiff on her fingers, as Minerva watched the sorting. Harry Potter in Slytherin…She looked over towards Severus, and saw his slight sneer. "Unhappy that they're in your house?" she asked out of the corner of her mouth. She had to suppress a small smile lurking at the edge of her lips, as she found the wry humor. Dumbledore had told a select few of the professors about her colleague's current guardianship of these two new eleven-year-olds.

Severus only gave a slight, 'humph,' towards Minerva. "You are merely disappointed that they are not in your house."

Minerva wrinkled her nose. "I daresay, I am a little surprised."

"Look at them," Severus told her.

The force behind Severus's command was eerie, and Minerva found herself looking over the two children. She started with Harry's cousin; the unnaturally pale face and shocking white hair was a given. Her white eyes strange, and yet, one could still see the emotions as one could do with anyone else. Unlike the others, her posture was ramrod straight, her legs locked together, and her eyes flicked back and forth. Most Gryffindor girls were far more laid back, tomboyish compared to her. Minerva then looked at Harry. His black hair was slightly messy, but it hung down slightly past his ears, and his mother's eyes gleamed out from his disordered locks. Unlike his counterpart, he slinked back into his seat, his posture tense, but dejected. His eyes were guarded, but his eyelids flickered every once in awhile towards his cousin. Only his cousin. It was as if they were speaking in a silent language that no one else could understand.

Minerva tore her eyes away from the boy and looked at Severus.

"They were a lot skinnier when I first met them," Severus said quietly, and Minerva frowned and looked at the children again.

They were indeed skinny. Their elbows jutted out like misplaced puzzle pieces, and their skin stretched over every bone and joint like elastic. Their eyes that she had so enjoyed looking at were set in hollows above their cheekbones, glaring tantalizingly.

Minerva pursed her lips. Suddenly she was thankful that they were in Severus's house. With all the rambunctious cluster, she may have never had the time to notice it.

"I've been spelling nutrient potions into their food. Wouldn't want them to die on me," Severus finished offhandedly. Minerva raised an eyebrow, and turned back to her food.

* * *

The school song was unbelievably horrendous. Although, to be fair, and to Harry's relief, it was the tolling bell that they could leave the forsaken hall. Every professor at the table seemed to be looking him over. One turban-headed-idiot, Harry had named, was severely displeasing him. Every time he looked in his general direction, his scar burned. He didn't like that. Not one bit.

Finally, they were able to leave the table, and head down towards the dungeons. "Familiar, isn't it?" Trisha asked out of the corner of her mouth.

Harry gave a wry grin. "Unbelievable, ain't it?"

They were led to the shimmering wall. Many of the first year Slytherins looked slightly confused. Harry and Trisha glanced curiously at each other.

"They can't see it?" Trisha asked quietly.

"Obviously not…"

The prefect told them the password and they went through the wall. The familiar green and silver room looked extremely cozy, especially with the fire roaring in the hearth. The chairs were plush and sophisticated and two sets of stairs were built on opposite sides of the room.

"Now Professor Snape will be here soon," the Head Boy said smoothly, and immediately everyone started to straighten up. Even as first years, they could tell the intricate rules of their new house.

Harry could once again feel the tension within the room; but it was different. The tension was more controlled; it didn't bounce every which way as it had before. He glanced over at Trisha. She was trying to calm her nerves by tapping her fingers together with some unknown rhythm. The rest of her body was calm without fail. He saw that the blonde-haired boy they had met on the train, Draco Malfoy, looking unbelievably bored, but still shooting curious glances at both Trisha and himself. A heavy-set girl with dark hair, whom he believed was Millicent Bulstrode, seemed to be one of the few who was actually relaxed, and exuding calmness. Harry was tempted to go and stand by her, but he opted not to, and at that moment, Professor Snape came in.

Wasting no time he began, "I am Professor Snape, your Head of House. Congratulations on making it into Slytherin, even if some placements seem a little…odd." His gaze lingered on Harry and Trisha, and the palest of pink tinged Trisha's cheeks. "However," he continued, "Slytherin seems to have a bad reputation amongst the other houses. Therefore, we must endeavor to stick together. You may have already found yourselves differing in ideals, but they will not be settled in the hallways of the school like immature children. If you have a problem, you will settle it in this common room in my presence. You will settle your argument once. It will not come up again. Do you understand?"

A quiet chorus of agreement muttered through the group. Snape's eyes flashed. "If you agree, you say 'yes, sir' or 'yes, professor.' There will be no mumbling in my house."

A louder chorus of anxious 'Yes, sir,' paraded through the room.

"Good," Snape said. "The girls dormitory is to the left, and the boys dormitory is to the right. I expect you all to be ready for class tomorrow. Good night," he said and headed to leave.

Harry and Trisha glanced at each other, both faces panic stricken. Hurriedly they ran out the room to catch up with Snape.

"Wait, Professor!" Harry all but yelled.

Snape turned, his eyes flashing dangerously. "You will control yourself, while at this school, Mr. Potter."

"Sorry sir," Harry said.

"Now, why did you chase me like cattle?" he drawled.

All of a sudden, Harry found it difficult to say. "Well, you see…umm…"

"Articulate as ever. I am starting to wonder how you got placed in my house."

"We can't sleep in separate rooms," Trisha said cringing.

Snape looked curiously at the two, before realization alighted on him. Depending on the strength of the bond, being far apart from each other would be progressively more difficult. Although, he hadn't thought that separate rooms would pose a problem…

"Follow me," Snape said simply, and the two followed him to his office, where he closed the door.

"I cannot be seen making special favors to you," he began and watched as the two slowly nodded their heads. "However, I may be willing to look the other way, in. This. One. Case," he slowly grounded out.

"If?" Harry asked.

"If you are willing to explain some things. Not tonight, of course, it is already late. But if you'd rather receive a detention every night…"

Harry and Trisha exchanged glances. They really had no choice. The pain of being apart was not pleasant. While it started as a longing, it would change into something physical and the longer it went on, the worse it got. "Yes, sir," they said in unison.

"Now, go directly to the common room. It is almost past curfew."

"Now go directly to jail. Do not pass go," Trisha said when they were out of earshot, and Harry grinned.

"You know we just signed our death warrant," Harry said.

"That's exactly what I meant," Trisha replied.

* * *

"But I can already do that," Trisha whispered to Harry after watching the stern McGonagall turn into a tabby cat.

"But not a tabby cat," Harry whispered back.

"Miss Dursley! Mr. Potter! Is there anything you'd like to share with the class?"

"No ma'am. Sorry ma'am," they said apologetically.

The witch gave them a cursory glance before turning back to the lesson. To Trisha's dismay, they had to start small, turning buttons into needles. Trisha had three shiny needles that she was collecting before Harry even managed to turn his button into something sort of pointy.

"Well, if that isn't a rather fat blue needle," Trisha said.

Harry ignored her and tried again. He thought of the needle, the point, the slimness of its body, and as he said the incantation it turned into a needle.

"It's still blue," Trisha said, lazily changing her sixth button.

"Shut up."

* * *

Much to Harry's relief and his wounded pride, potions class was a different affair. At least, during the beginning.

"I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory. Even put a stopper to death," Snape said silkily. His voice was catching and every student was hanging on to his every word in awe. "Well, why aren't any of you writing this down?!" The awed students snapped out of it and scrambled to pull out their quills and parchments.

"Weasley!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

The red-haired boy uncertainly bit his lip as he replied, "I don't know, sir."

He replied the same to next few questions, and Harry repressed the urge to yank Hermione down back in her seat. She was practically standing with her hand stretched as far as it could go. Next to him, Trisha was repressing an urge to flop her head on the desk. She had read parts of _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_, but had found it dreadfully boring.

After Snape took points from Weasley, they all began to work, weighing nettles and crushing snake fangs (at this, Harry gave an involuntary wince). Suffice to say, Harry was doing much better than Trisha. While his potion didn't garner the attention Draco's potion did from the Professor, it in no way resembled the thick sludge that was beginning to stew eerily in Trisha's own cauldron.

"Uh oh," Trisha muttered.

"Maybe if you paid attention to your own potion, it wouldn't look like slime," Harry said, grateful that he was better at potions than she was.

"Idiot boy!" Snape snarled. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"

Harry finally looked up from his potion, and saw that the chubby dark-haired boy from the train had melted his partner's cauldron into a globby mess. Neville whimpered as boils erupted all over his nose and was promptly sent to the hospital wing. His partner seemed relieved to escape from the dungeon.

After the mess was cleaned, they continued the last hour in a subdued silence. "I think you made blacktop," Harry said peering into Trisha's cauldron. The dark sludge had dried quickly after she placed in the crushed snake fangs, and did look remarkably like blacktop. "This is why you don't cook," Harry finished.

"Miss Dursley and Mr. Potter," Snape began, "see me after class."

Draco sniggered along with the still rather sore-looking Weasley. When they both realized they were doing the same thing, they promptly stopped, thus allowing Harry and Trisha to snigger back.

When the class finally left, Harry and Trisha lazily hung back with their bags in their hands.

"Sir?" Harry asked.

"You are to see me in my office tonight, 7:30 sharp. Do not be late. You are dismissed."

"Yes, sir," they chorused, uncertainty playing across their features.

* * *

"Has the common room been adequate?"

Whatever they were expecting, that was not it. They had walked towards the dungeons in slow movement as if they had just recently been exorcised from a demon plaguing the hollows of their bodies. The simply placed question tempted to draw them to a comfort zone.

"Yes, sir," Harry said. They moved their mattress into the common room every night after everyone was asleep and put them back before anyone woke to daylight. Sometimes, they didn't even bother with the mattresses at all, and placed a book besides their head just in case someone else was a light sleeper.

"For you also, Miss Dursley?"

"Yes, sir," Trisha replied.

"And are the meals adequate?" Snape asked.

Harry frowned. "Yes, sir. There's an awful lot, but I suppose it's nice."

"You would rather have less?"

This was a very strange interrogation, Harry believed, and wasn't entirely sure he liked the path it was treading towards. "I hear gluttony is a sin, sir," he replied, only narrowly surpassing the beat.

"Indeed. Who taught you that?" Snape steepled his elongated sallow fingers and looked over at the two children. They both squirmed faintly as they lowered their eyes to the floor.

"I thought the deal was sealed," Snape drawled.

"Marcello MacKenzie ," Harry said.

Keeping his face impassive, Snape asked, "And who is Marcello MacKenzie?"

Harry rubbed the back of his leg with his foot, and nervously pushed up his glasses. "He was," he began slowly, "our therapist."

Snape lifted an eyebrow. "Your therapist?" It was indubitably a question, rather than a mere statement of fact.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Yes. Dear Uncle Vernon picked him out especially for us," he said dryly.

Snape breathed in deeply. "And why did you need a therapist?"

"We're not crazy," Trisha said sharply.

"I never said you were," Snape said.

"Aunt…Petunia," Harry began with difficulty, "didn't believe us."

"Didn't believe me," Trisha said softly, eyelids half-closed and pupils staring down at the floor.

Severus relaxed his clenched jaw as he stared at the dejected figures in front of him. He would not get any further tonight; the two were ready to clam up and if he pushed even more he would not get satisfactory answers.

"That is all for tonight," Snape said.

The two nodded and said their, 'yes, sirs,' and left the room.

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A/N: Nice long chapter right? (For this story anyway) Please review!

Also, what you recognize from Potions class is obviously that of JK Rowling's work.


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